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Hiotographic 

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Coiporation 


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23  WSST  MAIN  STREIT 

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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

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CIHIVI/ICMH 
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Lhi  exemplaires  originaux  dont  ia  couverture  en 
papiei-  est  imprimAe  sont  filmis  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  ie  cas.  Tous  las  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commen^ant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboies  suivants  app<>.raltra  sur  la 
derniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  —»•  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmte  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
roproduit  en  un  seui  clichA,  il  est  film*  A  pertir 
de  i'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  h  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iiiustrent  la  mAthode. 


j  •    1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

ii||  I,      ■ini  I! 


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RL'  VSU  PiE  01^  TlUi  SEAS, 


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liOSTOX: 
\KD    SH.nv^RD.    PUBLISHEHS, 

KEW   YOKK: 

LEE.  RHluPAKD  ANP  DUJL'NGilAM, 

1813. 


THE 


'I'l  ;■ 

V 

I'm 


'REASURE  OF  THE  SEAS.  / 


M: 


r.\ 


PROF.  JAMES  DE  MILLE, 

AUTHOR  or  '«  THE  B.  O.  W.  C.,»  «•  THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PRE  SCHOOL,** 
««LOST  IN  THE   FOG,'»  ♦•FIRE  IN  THE  WOODS,"  '•  AMONO 
THE    BKIOANDS,"    "THE   SEVEN    HILLS," 
"•  PICKED  UP  ADRIFT,"  ETC. 

PS 

ZLLVBTBATED. 

/06>'6    ^/s<^(o  Of  p-Q^ 


i  ■ 


BOSTON: 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD,   PUBLISHERS, 

NEW  YORK: 

LEE,  SHEPARD  AND  DILUNGHAM. 

1873. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1872, 

By  LEE  AND  SHEPARD, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  »t  Washington. 


gUctwtyped  at  the  Boiton  Sleicotjpt  Foundiy, 
19  Spring  Lmm. 


THE  "A  O.  W,  Cr  SERIES. 


TO  BX  COMPLETED  IN  SIX  VOL!, 


1.  THE  "B.  O.  W.  C." 

2.  THE  BOYS  OF  GRAND  PR^  SCHOOL. 
8.  LOST  IN  THE  FOG. 

4.  FIRE  IN  THE  WOODS. 

5.  PICKED  UP  ADRIFT. 

6.  THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


The  A 
iers. 
Deer 
Boys 
tain 
Ante 


A  sir  at 
Lane 
the  ^\ 
-Ai 
the  J 
ofihi 


Landin 
Sable 

—  Lo 
Govei 

—  Gt 
Disaj 
horse. 


Bueeam 
Uon.  - 
ofthe 
Itousi 


CONTENTS. 


I. 

The  Aged  Schooner.  —  Ancient  Mariner.  —  Waste  of  Wa- 
ters. —  Perplexity.  —  Solomon  and  Saw'dust  Soup.  — 
Decrepit  Compass.  —  Baffled  Navigator.  —  Despondent 
Boys.  —  Sudden  Squall.  —  Sails  come  to  Grief.  —  Cap' 
tain  Corbet  to  the  Rescue.  —  No  Use  !  Too  far  gone  !  — 
Antelope  at  the  Mercy  of  Winds  and  Waves, 

11. 


11 


A  strange  and  startling  Sight.  —  A  Mast  in  Mid-ocean.  — 
Land.  —  Land  of  Terror.  —  Panic.  —  Worst  Place  in  all 
the  World.  —  Tom  drives  away  the  Panic.  —  Drifting, 

—  Anchor  dropped.  —  Dawn  of  Day.  — Low  Land  on 
the  Horizon.  —  Preparing  to  go  ashore.  —  Confidences 
of  the  unfortunate  Solomon 23 

III. 

Landing.  —  Friendly  Reception,  and  bounteous  Repast.  — 
Sable  Island,  —  Strange  Soil.  —  Sandy  Ridge.  —  Lake, 

—  Long  Walk. —  Wonderful  Sight.  —  Ancient  Ship. — 
Governor's  Story.  —  A  tremendous  Storm  and  its  Effects, 

—  Great  Surprise.  —  Examination  and  Exhumation.  — 
Disappointment.  —  Theories.  —  Governor  rides  a  Hobby" 
hone 85 

IV. 

Buccaneers,  —  Traditions  of  Mahone  Bay,  —  Spanish  Gal- 
leon, —  Buried  Treasurs  of  the  Buccaneers.  —  Plunder 
of  the  Spanish  Main.  —  Lost  Ship.  —  Arms  of  the  royal 
Houss  of  Spain.  —  Convincing  Proof.  —  Further  Wan- 


6  CONTENTS. 

derings.  —  Undisciplined  Ponies.  —  Last  Farewell.  — 
The  Antelope  departs.  —  Plan  of  the  Boys.  —  Corbet 
grieves^  hut  yields.  —  Out  of  the  Reach  of  Danger.         .     47 

V. 

Land  again.  —  Line  of  Coast.  —  How  to  navigate.  —  Plant 
for  finding  the  Island  of  Treasure.  —  Days.  —  Populous 
Island.  —  Old  Man  and  his  Ox  Cart.  —  Ironbound.  — 
Tancook.  —  Cautious  Questions  of  Bruce.  —  Obtuse  old 
Man.  —  Confidence  from  Solomon.  —  Useless  Search.  — 
Change  of  Policy  —  How  to  find  the  Island.         .        .      69 

VI. 

Cruise  around  the  Bay.  —  Quaint  and  curious  Town.  — 
Sleepy  Hollow.  —  Home-like  Inn.  —  Genial  and  commu- 
nicative Landlord.  —  Delicate  HJanipulaiion.  — Aspoto- 
gon  and  Deep  Cove.  —  Bart  in  an  Argument.  —  Land- 
lord plunges  into  the  Subject  of  Captain  Kidd.  —  Won- 
derful  Revelation.  —  Treasure  of  the  Seas  at  last.  — 
Island  of  golden  Store .     71 

VII. 

Wonderful  Story  of  Oak  Island.  —  Circle  in  the  Forest.  — 
Digging  for  Gold.  —  Exciting  Discoveries.  —  Far  down 
in  the  Depths  of  the  Earth.  —  Treasure  touched  at  last.  — 
Treasure  snatched  away.  —  New  Search^  and  its  Results. 

—  Boring  through  the  Chest  of  Gold.  —  Company.  —  New 
Pit  made.  —  Drain.  —  New  Efforts.  —  Coffer  Dam.  — 
New  Companies.  —  Captain  Kidd  too  much  for  them,    .      83 

VIII. 

Toilers  of  the  Sea,  —  Efforts  to  find  the  Plunder  of  the  Span' 
ish  Main.  —  Modern  Science  vs.  Captain  Kidd.  —  Land' 
lord*s  Faith.  —  Scoffers  and  Mockers  at  the  Money-hole. 

—  Objections  considered.  —  Timber  Floorings.  —  Stone^ 
vnth  its  mysterious  Inscription.  —  Gravel-pit^  with  its 
Surroundings  of  blue  Clay.  —  Drain  from  the  Sea  to 

the  Money-hole 96 


CONTENTS. 


IX. 

I  Bart  and  Pat  take  a  Walk.  —  Conversation.  —  Pai's  Sug- 
gestion. —  Bart  adopts  it.  —  Tunnel  to  the  Treasure  of 
the  Sea.  —  IHot  kept  secret  from  others.  —  Plans  for  As- 
potogon.  —  Keeping  their  own  Counsel.  —  BaH  and  Pat 
set  forth.  —  Stealing  a  Boat.  —  Search  for  the  Treasure 
Island. — Intelligent  Native.  —  New  Way  of  getting  at 
the  Treasure.  —  Blood  and  Thunder  !  —  Once  more  on 
the  Way.  —  Pirates'  Isle ! 108 

X. 

Isle  of  the  Pirates.  —  Oaks  and  the  Mounds.  —  Survey.  — 
Flooded  Pits.  —  Empty  Pit.  —  Staying.  —  Money-hole. 

—  Hut  and  Contents.  —  Stone  with  the  Inscription.  — 
Preparations  for  a  Descent.  —  Rope  and  Beam.  —  Pafs 
Plan  with  the  Pickaxe —  Bart  goes  down.  —  All  right. 

—  Come  along —  Pat  goes  down Terrific  Result.  — 

Sword  of  Damocles. 121 

XI. 

Missing  Ones. —  What  has  become  of  themf —  Theoriet 
about  Bart  and  Pat.  —  Decision.  —  New  Disappoint^ 
ment,  a  very  serious  one.  —  Bad  Substitute.  —  Voyage  to 
Aspotogon.  —  Mysterious  Cove.  —  Romantic  Spot.  —  Pic- 
turesque  Scenery.  —  Speculations  about  the  Buccaneers, 

—  Very  Place.  —  Knoll.  —  New  Themes.  —  Mound  over 
the  Treasure  of  the  Seas.  — Plans  to  get  at  Treasure.  — 
Most  unpleasant  Discovery.  —  Plans  knocked  in  the  Head. 

—  New  Plans,  by  which  to  avoid  all  Difficulties. 


184 


XII. 

Ascent  of  Aspotogon.  —  Slippery  Slopes.  —  Treacherous 
Stones.  —  Thickets.  —  Great  Disappointment.  —  Disgust 
of  the  Party.  —  Refreshing  Bath.  —  Exploring  a  Cave.  — 
Where  are  the  Buccaneers  f  —  In  the  Water.  —  Alarm. 
—  Terrible  Monster.  —  Fright  and  Flight.  —  Sauve  qui 
peut !  —  Monster  in  Pursuit.  —  Agonies  of  Death.  — 
Bruce  ashore.  —  He  turns  to  give  Help.  —  The  others 
safe.  —  Tom  ypt  in  Danger.  —  Abhorrent  Sight.  . 


147 


8 


CONTENTS. 


XIIL 

Roar  of  Laughter  pom  Bruce.  —  End  of  this  tremendous 
Adventure.  —  Reticence  of  the  "vhole  Partxj  on  the  Sub- 
ject. —  No  one  can  taunt  thf.  other.  —  Departure  from  the 
Haunt  of  the  Buccaneers.  —Antelope  expands  her  white 
'yy^ings.  —  Precautions  of  Corbet  against  dead  Calms.  — 
All  labor  at  the  Sweeps.  —  Solace  of  Toil.  —  What  Vessel 
are  you  gliding  int—  Taking  to  the  Boat.  —  Tumbling 
into  Bed. 

XIV. 

BaH  and  Pat.  —  Terrible  Situation.  —  First  Horror,  and 
its  Effects.  —Attempt  to  scale  the  Corners.  —'Trying  the 
Sides.  —  Too  wide  by  far.  —  Pat  wants  to  tie  a  Rope  to 
Nothing.  —  Pickaxe.  —  New  AUempts  at  Climbing.  — 
Disappointments.  —  Pat's  Fertility  of  Invention.  —  New 
Suggestion.  —  Dangerous  Experiment.  —  Running  the 
Risk.—  Tugging  at  the  Logs.  —  Obstinate  Fabric.  —  Baf- 
fled and  beaten. 

XT. 

Pat  and  the  Pick.  —  Dangerous  Flan.  —  Undermining  the 
Foundation.  —  Ter'^'ible  Risk.  —  Something  like  an 
Earthquake.  — A  Way  opened.  —  They  make  an  Ascent. 
Sudden  Stop.  —  Projecting  Log.  —  Pickaxe.  —  Who  shall 
go  down  f  —  New  Descent.  —  Watch  of  Bart.  —  Alarm.  — 
Call.  —  Silence.  —  Terror.  —  Answer.  —  Fearful  Intelli- 
gence.—  The  very  worst. —  The  Drain.  —  Rising  Wa- 
iers,  —  Pit  flooded. — Impending  Doom. 

XVI. 

Waking  from  a  sound  Sleep.  —  Missing  Ones.  —  Earnest 
Debate.  —  Various  Theories.  —  Fishing  vs.  Sailing.  — 
Afloat  or  Ashore.  —  Emotion  of  the  venerable  Corbet.  — 
His  solemn  Declaration.  —  The  Antelope  or  the  Whaler. 
—  Landlord's  View  of  the  Case.  —  Doubts  and  Perplexi- 
ties. —  "  Afloat  or  Ashore  "  again.  —  Landlord's  View  of 
iht  Sailing  Theory,  and  Decision  in  Favor  of  the  Fish- 
ing Hypothesis.  —  The  Lost  Ones  camping  out  for  the 
Night 


159 


181 


184 


198 


CONTENTS. 


XVII. 

New  Arrival.  —  **  Long-shore  Man"  —  Strange  and  star" 
tling  Tale.  — Fears  again  awakened.  —  The  Stranger's 
superstitious  Dread —  Boat  found,  but  Boys  gone.  — 
Landlord  s  Statement.  —  Fears  confirmed.  —  Ojff  to  the 
Rescue.  —  Oak  Island.  —  Empty  Boat.  —  Where  are  the 
Boys  ?  —  Flooded  Fits.  —  No  Signs  of  the  Missing  Ones. 

—  Theory  of  Roach.  —  Kidd  and  his  Gang.  .        .        .    210 

XVIII. 

Place  of  Peril.  —  Descent  of  the  Darkness.  —  Dreadful  JETi- 
pectation.  —  Sound  from  the  nether  Abyss.  —  Rising  Wa- 
iers.  —  Iligher^and  higher.  —  Gleam  of  Hope.  —  Beams 
intermixed.  —  Borne  upward  on  the  Waters.  —  Ljast 
Chance.  —  Final  Struggle.  —  Patvp  to  the  Surface.  — 
Dropping  a  Line  to  a  Friend.  —  Midnight  Sky,  and 
Moonlit  Sea.  —  Lone  Hut.  —  Explorers.  —  Despondency, 

—  Last  Resort.  —  Sleepers  awake. —  Wild  and  frantic 
Joy.  —  Voice  of  the  Landlord.  —  Joint  Stock  Company ^ 
and  Steam  Engine. 223 

XIX. 

Tale  unfolded  to  Solomon  and  to  Captain  Corbet.^ — ILoto 
they  took  it.  —  New  Departure.  —  Bee-line  for  Home.  — 
Obstacle.  —  Old  Enemy.  —  All  at  Sea.  —  Terrible  Calami' 
ty.  —  Striking  a  Rock.  —  Perilous  Position.  —  To  the 
Pumps.  —  Preparing  for  the  Worst 235 

XX. 

[Again  on  the  Watey-s.  —  Terrible  Discovery.  —  Foot  of  Wa- 
ter in  the  Hold.  —  To  the  Pumps.  —  A  desperate  Strug- 
gle.  —  Evening  Meal.  —  Corbet  gazes  on  Vacancy.  —  La- 
borious Night.  —  New  Toils.  —  Exhaustion.  —  Fighting 
with  the  Waters.  —  Discouragement.  —  Leak  gains  on 
them.  —  End  approaching 247 

XXI. 

\Miserable  Night.  —  No  one  shrinks.  —  Effoi-ts  lessen.  — 
Morning  comes.  —  Four  Feet  of  Water  in  the  Hold.  — 
Take  to  the  Boat !  —  Come  along^  Captain  !  —  Dignity 
of  Corbet.  —  Folly  of  Pat.  —  Insanity  of  Solomon.  — /»»- 
becility  of  Wade. —  Perplexity  of  the  Boys.  —  •*  I?at  ar  oh 
Woman  ! "  —  Agony  of  fmpatiencs.  —  Tempting  Fat;   .    289 


10 


CONTENTS. 


XXII. 

The  Waters  rise.  —  The  Boys  try  Force.  —  Attack  on  Pat. 

—  lie  ts  overpowered.  —  My  Name's  Wade.  —  Irish  Howl. 

—  Solomon  immovable.  —  Ancient  Mariner.  —  Boys  fly. 

—  Flight  of  Solomon.  —  "  Drefful  Times."  —  Corbet  sings 
his  Death  Song.  —  Rhapsody  on  the  Antelope.  —  The  ris- 
ing Waters.  —  Doomed  Schooner.  —  Antelope  sinking,  — 
Corbet  slowly  disappearing  beneath  the  raging  Seas.      .    271 

XXIII. 

Watching  with  pallid  Faces.  —  The  Torso  of  Corbet.  —  Un- 
pleasant Discovery. —  Pat  and  the  salt  Water. —  The  Rheu- 
matiz  and  kindred  Diseases.  —  Whei'e  to  go.  —  Where 
are  we  f  —  Sable  Island.  —  Anticosti,  Bermuda,  Jamai- 
ca, Newfoundland,  Cape  Cod,  or  Owld  Ireland.  —  Land 
Breeze.  —  Sounding  for  the  Land.  —  Land  ahead.        .    283 

XXIV. 

Rowing  ashore.  —  Nearer  they  come.  —  Fog  dispels.  — 
Strangely  familiar.  —  A  Man  advances  towards  them.  — 
Wild  Shouts  from  the  Boys.  —  Confused  Rejoicings.  — 
Hearty  Welcome.  —  Explanations.  —  Receding  Tide.  — 
Visit  to  the  Antelope.  —  Mournful  Remembrances.  —  Last 
Speech  of  Captain  Corbet.        ......    295 

XXV. 

Discussing  the  Situation.  —  By  Land  or  by  Sea.  —  Confer- 
ences with  Bennie.  —  Offer  of  Bennie.  —  Last  Meal  at 
Scott's  Bay.  —  The  Boat  is  on  the  Shore,  and  the  Bark  is 
on  the  Sea.  —  Farewell  Speech  of  the  Ancient  Mariner.       304 

XXVI. 

A  hard  Pull  — Wind  and  Tide.  —  Bennie^s  ^^  Idee."  — 
Jolly  unde  creditable  Circumstances.  —  Triple  Promon- 
tory. —  Advance  of  the  Fog.  —  Line  of  Cliff.  —  Foaming 
Sea.  —  Slow  Passage  of  the  Hours.  —  Strait  of  Minas,  — 
Land  at  last.  —  Bennie  triumphant 315 

XXVII. 

Village  by  th:  Sea.  —  Village  Inn.  —  Hospitable  Landlord. 

—  Making  Inquiries.  — Astounding  Intelligence.  —  Dis- 
may followed  by  Despair.  —  Search  without  Result.  — 
Mournful  Walk.  —  A  Sail !  A  Sail !  —  Boat,  ahoy  !  An 

old  Friend  !  —  Great  Jubilation.  —  Conclusion.      .        .    825 


TEE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


9j»;C 


1. 


TJie  aged  Schooner,  —  Tlie  Ancient  Mariner,  — 
The  Waste  of  Waters.  —  Perplexity,  —  Solomon 
and  the  Saio-dust  Soup.  —  Tlie  decrepit  Com- 
pass. —  The  baffled  Navigator,  —  The  despondeiit 
Boys.  —  A  sudden  Squall.  —  TJie  Sails  come  to 
Grief.  —  Captain  Corbet  to  the  Rescue. — No  Use! 
Too  far  gone  I  —  Tlie  Antelope  at  the  Mercy  of 
the  Winds  and  Waves, 


%■ 


>HE  waters  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  were  red- 
dened far  and  wide  by  the  rays  of  the  rising 
sun.  The  glorious  beams  had  flashed  over 
I  tract  after  tract  of  the  watery  expanse  as  they 
I  came  from  the  east,  until  at  length  they  poured 
in  a  full  blaze  upon  a  certain  gay  and  gi;)i=^+  bark 
which  lay  tossing  upon  the  tide  somewhere  with- 
in a  hundred  miles  or  so  of  the  shore  of  the  west- 
lern  world. 

Yet  though  undeniably  gay  and  gallant,  the  hand 
lof  time  was  visible  on  that  bounding  bark.  For 
her  buoyant  hull  was  worn,  and  torn,  and  aged,  an4 

11 


m. 
m 


'■'  \: 


12 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


weather-beaten,  and  in  fact  decrepit.  Aloft,  over 
that  battered  hull,  whose  dilapidated  sides,  covered 
with  bruises  and  bare  of  paint,  showed  gaping  I 
seams,  from  which  the  oaknm  protruded,  rose  tlic| 
rickety  masts  and  rotten  old  rigging.  The  sails, 
all  torn,  and  worn,  and  rent,  and  patched,  were  I 
spread  to  catch  the  breeze,  while  on  high  floated  a 
gallant  but  dingy  flag,  bearing  the  blazonry  of  a 
now  undecipherable  emblem,  together  with  letters | 
now  half  effiiced,  which  looked  like  "  B.  O.  W.  C." 

Such  a  disreputable  craft,  and  such  prepcstcronsl 
sails,  had  surely  never  before  met  the  eye  of  the 
astonished  sun  in  these  waters,  and   great  must 
have  been  the  hardihood,  or  else  the  ignorance,  of 
those  who  dared  commit  themselves  and  her  to  thol 
merciless  ocean.     Whether  bold  or  ignorant,  how- 
ever,   there   they   were,   all   of   them  —  Captainl 
Corbet,  the  mate,  Solomon,  and  the  boys  of  lhe| 
"  B.  0.  W.  C.;"  and  these  now  all  stood  on  the  deck 
of  the  Antelope,  looking  at  the  reddening  dawn. 

At  the  helm  of  his  gallant  bark  stood  her  boldl 
commander,  as  wise,  as  vigilant,  and  as  care-worn 
as  ever,  shading  his  venerable  brow  with  his  hand, 
while,  with  eagle  eye,  he  sought  to  make  out  some 
floating  object  or  some  friendly  shore.     But  to  that! 
eagle  eye  the  wide  waste  of  waters  showed  nothing| 
of  the  kind  ;  and  so  it  came  to  pass  that,  at  length, 
the  aged  Corbet  heaved  a  gentle  sigh,  and  liis  eycsl 
rested  with  mournful  meaning  upon  his  young] 
companions. 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER. 


ti 


"  Well,  captain,"  said  Bart,  who  was  standing 
[near  him, "  we  don't  seem  to  have  made  land  yet  — 
Idowe?" 

The  captain  shook  his  head  slowly  and  solemnly, 

"Kine  o'  curous,  too/'  he  ejaculated,  after  a 
[thoughtful  pause. 

"  I  don't  suppose  you  have  any  more  idea  of 
^here  we  are  than  you  had  yesterday." 

"  Wal,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  "  not  to  say  much 
)f  an  idea ;  but  I'm  kine  o'  oomin  round,  an  mebbe 
['11  get  the  hang  of  it  yet." 

"  Well,  why  not  head  her  west  ?    We'll  be  sure 

come  in  sight  of  land  then." 

Again  the  captain  shook  his  head. 

"Wal,  I  don't  know,"  said  he,  "about  that. 
'bar's  currents,  an  thar's  eddies ;  an  thar's  the 
rulf  Stream  to  be  considered.  Now,  if  we'd  kep 
traight  on  at  fust,  when  we  got  out  o'  Canso, 
re'd  been  all  right ;  or  even  after  we  left  Louis- 
lourg,ef  we'd  only  kep  along  the  coast,  in  sight  — 
lut  thar's  the  mischief  of  it.  I  let  her  git  out  o' 
[ght  o'  land  that  night,  an  she  got  kine  o'  slewed 

)und,  and  's  kep  kine  o'  cantin  round  every  which 
[ay,  until  at  last  she's  in  this  here  onfort'nit  posi- 

m.    An  now  I'm  all  teetotally  aderrift !  " 

"0,  I  shouldn't  think  that  we  can  be  more  than 
[bund red  miles  or  so  south-east  of  the  Nova  Scotia 
last." 

I"  Wal,  1  don't  know  ;  seems  to  me  we  may  jest 
well  be  off  Bermudy  as  any whars  else." 


14 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


"  Bermuda  1 "  exclaimed  Bart,  in  amazement. 
"  You  don't  mean  that." 

"  Wal,  I  don't  see  why  not.  Here  we  air,  after 
a  kerrewsin  around  a  whole  fortnight  every  which 
way,  driven  up  an  down  by  wind  an  tide,  an  can- 
terin  along  with  the  Gulf  Stream ;  an  whenever 
we  ventured  to  hail  a  passin  vessel,  only  gettin 
the  finger  o'  scorn  a  pinted  at  us  for  our  pains,  an 
the  laughter  of  frivolous  an  light-minded  men.  So 
what's  to  hender  us  from  bein  anywhars  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Bart,  "  don't  you  think  it  would  be 
better  to  take  some  one  course,  and  stick  to  it  ?  " 

"  Ain't  I  done  it  ?  "  said  the  captain.  "  Ain't  I 
done  it  every  day  ?  Every  day  I  took  some  defi- 
nite course,  and  stuck  to  it ;  an  what's  the  result  ?  | 
Young  sir,  if  you  seek  a  answer,  look  around." 

"  But  something  must  be  done,"  said  Bart,  "  or  I 
else  we'll  find  the  Antelope  becoming  a  second | 
edition  of  the  Flying  Dutchman.     A  fortnight  of 
this  sort  of  thing  's  no  joke." 

"  Who  ever  said  it  was?"  said  Captain  Corbet.! 
"An  what's  wuss,  every  passin  vessel  will  pussist 
in  makin  it  a  joke.      They  think  we're  a  fishin| 
schooner,  bound  to  the  banks ;  an  if  we  ask  a  hon- 
est question,  they  won't  do  anything  but  yell  out| 
jokes  that  ain't  got  any  pint  that  ever  I  can  see. 
Wal,  this  sarves  me  right,  for  ever  ventrin  outside  I 
of  old  Fundy.     Put  me  in  old  Fundy  an  I'm  all 
right ;  out  here  I  ain't  any  good,  an  hadn't  ought 
ever  to  dreamt  of  comin." 


PERPLEXITY. 


15 


From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  ill-fated  Ante- 
lope was  once  more  in  a  most  unpleasant  pre- 
|dicament,  and  the  company  on  board  appeared  in 
ianger  of  encountering  adventures  of  as  unpleasant 

kind  as  they  had  known  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
^•ence,  if  not  worse.  And  certainly  the  prospect 
ras  dark  indeed,  when  the  captain  himself  could 
^0  so  far  as  to  hint  at  Bermuda  as  being  by  any  pos- 
sibility in  their  neighborhood.  So  Bart  thought ; 
md  as  he  walked  away  there  was  a  shade  of  anx- 
iety on  his  brow. 

As  he  walked  forward  he  saw  Solomon  drawing 
Bome  water  for  breakfast  out  of  one  of  the  barrels. 

*'  Solomon,"  asked  Bart,  "  how  are  we  off  for 
)rovisions  this  time  ?  " 

The  sable  functionary  raised  his  aged  form,  and, 
lolding  the  water-pail  in  one  hand,  with  the  other 
le  slowly  scratched  his  venerable  wool. 

"  Wal,  Masr  Bart,"  said  he,  "  dis  yar  time  we 
lin't  got  no  ^tiklar  cause  for  'ziety.  Dar's  a  barl  of 
ialt  pork,  an  two  barls  of  biscuit,  an  dat  ar's  'ficient 
for  de  'quirements  of  dis  yar  company.  Lucky  for 
IS,  too,  dat  Cap'n  Fuggeson  cars  for  us.  He  put 
|his  pork  an  biscuit  aboard  for  extry,  an  say  dat  we 
in  boun  to  come  to  roonatium  some  how.  An 
fat  ar  am  de  very  'visiums  dat  we  got  to  lib  on 
low. 


» 


"But  haven't  we  got  anything  better  than  salt 
)rk  and  biscuit  left  ?  "  asked  Bart,  in  a  rueful  tone. 
"  Well,  notin  'tiklar.     Dar's  a  drawin  or  two  ob 


16 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


tea — an  a  grain  or  two  ob  flour  —  an  somo  ro'i 
her'n ;  but,  law  sakes  !  child  alivo  —  what  you  mc.n 
by  frettin  and  pinin  so  long's  dar's  lot  to  eat?  Neb- 
ber  you  riiind.  I'll  cook  up  dis  yar  pork  so  's  you'll 
blieve  it's  roast  turkey.  AVill  so.  You  don't  know 
me  yet.  Tell  you  what,  —  wait  till  you  see  how  I 
cook  up  dis  yar.'* 

"0,  I  know,"  said  Bart;  "I  believe  you  could 
feed  us  on  saw-dust  soup,  if  you  hadn't  anything! 
else.     It  wasn't  that." 

"Saw-dust   soup!"   cried   Solomon.     His   eyesl 
rolled  fearfully.     His  aged  figure  bent  double.    IIe| 
put  the  pail  of  water  down,  and  then  seated  him- 
self on  the  deck,  where  ho  proceeded  to  shake  hisl 
venerable  sides;  and  swing  his  body  backward  and 
forward,  while  chuckles,  and  giggles,  and  choking 
laughter  burst  from  him.     Every  little  while,  as  he 
could  get  his  breath,  he  would  roll  up  the  whites 
of  his  eyes  with  a  look  of  ecstasy,  and  whisper  to 
himself, "  Saw-dust  soup  !  —  saw-dust  soup  !  —  dat's 
so.     Tell  you  what!  takes  ole  Solomon  to  do  it| 
He's  de  boy.     Is  so  1     Yah,  yah,  yah  !  " 

From  this  outburst  of  African  sentiment  Bartl 
turned  mournfully  away,  and  stood  apart,  lookingl 
pensively  upon  the  water.  The  other  boys  seemedl 
to  feel  as  he  did,  for  they  all  had  on  their  faces  ani 
expression  of  anxiety  and  disappointment.  Theyl 
all  knew  how  they  were  situated,  and  the  situationl 
was  not  agreeable  to  any  one  of  them.  Whatever 
novelty  there  may  have  been  in  it  had  gone  off! 


THE  BAFFLED  NAVIGATOR. 


17 


long  ago,  and  there  was  nothing  now  left  but  im- 
patience and  vexation  of  spirit. 

The  wind  had  been  fresliening  during  the  night; 
and  now,  as  the  day  advanced,  it  grew  more  and 
more  boisterous. 

"  It's  blowin  a  leetle  mite  too  fresh,"  said  Captain 
Corbet  to  Bruce, "  for  to  contennew  on  this  course  ; 
so  Pll  jest  come  round,  an  run  afore  it.  Arter  all, 
it's  the  best  course,  —  for  it's  west,  an  had  ought  to 
fetch  us  up  somewhar  eventooly,  though  I  ain't 
got  overly  much  confidence  in  this  here  compass." 

"  Compass  I  Why,  what's  the  matter  with  the 
compass?"  asked  Bruce. 

"  Wal,  yesterday  at  sunrise,"  said  Captain  Cor- 
bet, in  a  gentle  tone  of  regret,  "  I  noticed  that,  ac- 
cord in  to  the  compass,  the  sun  was  a  risin  in  the 
nothe,  an  that  was  agin  natur.  So  I  knowed  that 
either  the  sun  was  wrong  or  the  compass,  and 
nat'r'ly  concluded  that  it  was  the  compass.  So  I 
jest  examined  it,  an  sure  enough,  I  found  the  needle 
all  rusted  up ;  an  I'm  a  leetle  mite  afeared  it  ain't 
no  more  good,  jest  now,  than  a  rusty  nail.  Conse- 
quentl}'',  I  don't  feel  like  settin  any  very  great  confi- 
dence on  her.  Wal,  for  that  matter,  I  never 
thought  much  of  compasses,  an  don't  gen'rally  go 
I  by  them  when  I'm  in  old  Fundy,  though  here- 
[abouts  they  might  p'aps  be  some  use." 

At  this  fresh  instance  of  Captain  Corbet's  way  of 
[navigating,  Bruce  was  so  overwhelmed  that  he 
[could  not  say  a  single  word.     A  flush  passed  over 


!i' 


'U 


18 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


hia  face.  Hi.4  lipa  parted  ag  tlioiigh  he  waa  about 
to  speak ;  but  bo  checked  the  rising  remark,  and 
walked  forward,  where  he  began  to  talk  earnestly 
with  the  other  boys. 

But  suddenly  their  conversation  was  interrupted. 
There  was  a  sharp  crash,  a  wild  flap,  a  dark 
shadow,  and  in  an  instant  a  large  object  floated 
away  through  the  air  on  the  wings  of  the  wind, 
while  the  noise  of  flapping,  snapping:,  and  cracking 
still  filled  their  ears.  A  hurried,  startled  glance 
showed  them  all.  As  the  Antelope  was  coming 
round,  a  gust  of  wind  more  violent  than  usual  had 
struck  her.  The  old  sails  were  too  weak  to  stand 
it.  The  mainsail  yielded  utterly,  and  was  torn 
clean  off,  and  flung  away  upon  the  waters.  The 
foresail  had  suffered  but  little  less  injury,  for  it 
had  been  torn  completely  asunder,  and  now  sho^vod 
a  huge  rent,  while  the  two  portions  flapped  wildly 
and  furiously  in  the  blast. 

"  Wal,"  said  Captain  Corbet, "  ef —  this  —  here  — 
don't  —  beat  —  all !  " 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment,  and  stood  contem- 
plating the  ruin  before  him. 

"  Wal,"  he  continued,  drawing  a  long  breath, 
'^  what's  got  to  be  must  be.  I  knowed  it  would 
come  some  day.  You  can't  fight  agin  the  wind  an 
storm  for  more'n  seventeen  year  without  feelin  it ; 
and  these  sails  has  been  an  had  their  day.  1 
knowed  it.  I  told  you,  boys,  once  —  I  dar  say  you 
mind  the  time  —  that  them  sails  might  be  stronger. 


THE  TORN  SAIL. 


la. 


and  tliat  they  wasn't  adapted  to  be  hung  on  to  a 
shipoi'a  thousand  ton.  Still  I  did  hope  that  they'd 
stand  this  h3re  vyge." 

"  But  what  are  we  going  to  do  now,  captain?  " 
asked  Tom. 

"Do?"  said  the  captain.  "  0,  wal,  'tain't  so  bad's 
it  might  be.  We've  got  the  foresail  yet ;  an  me 
and  Wade  '11  fix  her ;  we'll  take  her,  an  sew  her 
up,  and  make  her  as  good  as  new  ;  an  we'll  work 
along  some  how.  You  needn't  be  troubled  ;  it  ain't 
goin  to  make  a  mite  of  difference ;  an  I  don't 
know,  after  all,  but  what  in  the  long  run  p'aps  it's 
a  goin  to  be  better  for  us.  Wo  ain't  ben  a  doin 
much  with  the  two  sails,  that  sartain  ;  p'aps  now 
we'll  do  better  with  only  one." 

And  now  the  venerable  captain  and  his  noble 
mate  prepared  to  obtain  possession  of  the  sail. 
This  was  done  without  any  very  great  effort,  the 
boys  all  assisting.  Then  the  two  navigators 
(master  and  mate),  having  armed  themselves  with 
sail-needles  and  tv/ine,  proceeded  to  sew  up  the 
rent,  to  patch,  to  mend,  and,  in  general,  to  renovate 
the  old,  old  wornout  sail.  At  length  this  last  was 
happily  accomplished ;  the  sail  was  restored  to  its 
place,  and  as  it  swelled  out  at  the  pressure  of  the 
ocean  blast,  it  seemed  as  eflBcient  as  ever.  But 
either,  in  this  case,  appearances  were  deceptive,  or 
else  its  previous  condition  had  been  deplorably 
weak.  Certain  it  is,  that  after  having  sustained 
the  blast  for  about  half  an  hour,  the  old  rag  of  a  sail 


20 


THE   TREASURE   OF   THE   SEAS. 


began  to  give  way  again  in  a  dozen  difTeront 
places,  and  at  length  split  up  almost  close  beside 
the  former  rent.  At  tliis  Captain  Corbet  surveyed 
the  tattered  canvas  with  melancholy  resignation. 

"  This  here  wind,"  said  he,  "  is  a  leetle  too  stiff 
for  her  jest  now.  I  think  we'd  better  save  her 
from  another  time.  She'll  do  very  well  in  milder 
weather." 

By  **  she  "  Captain  Corbet  meant  the  sail,  which 
he  thus  personiBed  with  affectionate  familiarity. 
As  he  said  this,  he  proceeded  to  lower  the  tattered 
canvas,  and  examine  it  in  a  pitying,  compassionate, 
and  caressing  sort  of  way,  quite  oblivious  of  any 
other  duty. 

Meanwhile  the  Antelope  tossed  and  pitched 
about  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves.  There  was 
nothing  that  deserved  the  name  of  a  storm ;  yet, 
nevertheless,  the  wind  was  boisterous,  and  the 
sea  somewhat  rough.  The  position  of  the  Antelope 
became,  therefore,  in  the  highest  degree  unpleas- 
ant, and  this  last  example  of  Captain  Corbet's  help- 
lessness and  incapacity  served  to  complete  the  de- 
spondency of  the  boys.  It  now  seemed  as  though 
their  last  hope  had  gone.  The  compass  was  use- 
less; the  sails  were  reduced  to  rags;  they  had 
no  means  of  flight  from  their  present  misery;  and 
the  only  comfort  remaining  was,  that  the  danger 
which  menaced  them  w^as  not  immediate,  and 
might  yet  be  evaded. 

Nothing  DOW  was  left  to  the  boys  but  to  watch 


THE  DINNER. 


%l 


with  eager  eyes  the  scone  around  —  to  search  over 
the  waste  of  waters  with  the  hope  of  seeing  some 
sail,  or  perhaps  some  sign  of  land.  And  to  this 
they  devoted  themselves.  It  was  indeed  a  clicer- 
less  task,  and  one,  too,  which  gave  them  but  little 
hope.  Hours  passed,  yet  no  sail  appeared.  Din- 
ner time  came,  and  the  dinner  was  spread ;  yet 
the  boys  showed  but  little  appetite.  They  had 
been  in  far  worse  circumstances  than  this,  yet  still 
this  was  sufficiently  unpleasant  to  destroy  all  relish 
for  Solomon's  cookery,  even  if  the  banquet  had  been 
composed  of  greater  dainties  than  salt  pork  and 
sea  biscuit. 

Thus  the  guests  at  that  banquet  were  not  at  all 
appreciative ;  and  they  sat  there  in  the  schooner^s 
hokl,  not  to  eat,  but  merely  to  pass  the  time,  which 
hung  so  heavy  on  their  hands.  Yet  even  thus 
their  impatience  did  not  allow  them  to  spend  much 
time  at  the  dinner,  for  they  soon  retreated,  and 
took  up  their  stations  on  deck  once  more,  to  stare 
around,  to  scan  the  horizon,  and  to  peer  into  empty 
space. 

Hours  passed.  On  that  afternoon,  the  wind 
gradually  went  down,  and  there  seemed  a  prospect 
of  calmer  weather.  Captain  Corbet  began  to  talk 
of  mending  the  sail,  and  hoisting  it  again ;  and 
at  length,  calling  upon  Wade,  he  and  his  mate 
proceeded  with  needles  and  sail  twine  to  patch 
up  as  before.  Into  this  occupation  these  two 
plunged,  but  the  boys  still  stood  on  the  lookout. 


■  -- 


lilt 


i!;iii 


H:l! 


22 


THE  TREASURE   OP   THE  SEAS. 


At  length,  Bart  directed  Brnce's  attention  to 
something  which  appeared  on  the  margin  of  the 
sea,  far  away  on  the  horizon. 

"  Bruce,'"  said  he,  '*  don't  you  see  something  out 
there  that  looks  like  the  mast  of  a  vessel  ?  " 

Bruce  looked  eagerly  in  the  direction  where 
Bart  was  pointing,  and  the  others,  who  had  heard 
the  remark,  did  the  same. 


;!  ii  ■ 


A   STRANGE   AND   STARTLING  SIGHT. 


23 


II. 


A  strange  and  startling  Sight  —  A  Mast  in  Mid- 
ocean.  —  Land.  —  A  Land  of  Terror.  —  A  Panic, 

—  The  worst  Place  in  all  the  World.  —  Tom 
drives  away  the  Panic.  —  Drifting.  —  The  An- 
chor dropped.  —  The  Dawn  of  Day.  —  The  low 
Land  on  the  Horizon.  —  Preparing  to  go  ashore, 

—  The  Confidences  of  the  unfortunate  Solomon. 

'S   they  all  stood  looking  in  the  direction 
where  Bart  was  pointing,  — 

"  I  see  it,"  said  Bruce.  "  It's  certainly 
the  mast,  and  the  mast  of  a  ship,  for  there  is  the 
yard  and  the  rigging ;  but  there's  only  one  mast." 

"  It's  a  sloop,"  said  Phil. 

"No,"  said  Tom;  "it's  a  square-rigged  vessel 
of  some  sort." 

"  Sure  an  it  ain't  got  no  more  'n  one  mast,"  said 
Pat ;  "  an  be  the  same  token,  there's  no  hull  at  all 
at  all.  Be  the  powers,  but  it  would  be  a  quare 
thing  intirely  if  it  was  to  turrun  out  to  be  another 
wather-logged  ship.  An  if  it  is,  it's  meself  that'll 
not  set  fut  aboord  of  her ;  not  me,  so  it  isn't." 

"  There's  something,"  said  Bruce,  "  that  may  be 


*  V- 


24 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


\m 


a  hull.  I  can  see  it  sometimes  quite  plain.  Now 
look,  boys,  carefully,  all  of  you,  as  we  rise  on  the 
top  of  a  wave." 

All  this  time  Arthur  had  been  examining  the 
object  through  the  spy-glass.  As  Bruce  said  this, 
he  handed  the  glass  to  him. 

"  It's  not  a  ship,"  said  he,  "  nor  a  vessel  of  any 
kind.     It's  land." 

"  Land  ! "  cried  all  the  boys. 

"  Yes,"  said  Arthur. 

All  were  silent.  Bruce  took  a  look  through  the 
glass,  and  then  passed  it  to  Bart,  who,  after  look- 
ing through  it,  passed  it  on  to  the  others. 

"  It's  a  fact,"  said  Bruce.  "  It's  land  j  and  that's 
a  flag-staff." 

"  It's  very  low  land,"  said  Arthur. 

"It's  a  mere  sand-bank,"  said  Bruce. 

*'  A  sand-bank,"  said  Bart,  "  with  a  flag-staff  in 
the  middle  of  the  ocean !     It's  queer." 

"  Yes,"  said  Bruce ;  "  and  remember  this,  too, 
that  this  sand-bank  in  the  ocean,  with  this  flag- 
staff, is  probably  not  very  far  away  from  the  coast 
of  Nova  Scotia.  Now,  put  this  and  that  together, 
boys,  and  where  do  you  think  we  are  ?  " 

At  this  question  they  all  looked  at  one  another 
in  silence,  and  for  a  time  no  answer  was  made. 

"  Well,"  said  Tom,  at  length,  "  I'll  tell  you  what 
it  is,  boys.  I  believe  that  another  prophecy  of 
Captain  Ferguson's  is  turning  out  true.  He  proph- 
esied that  we'd  be  thrown  upon  Anticosti,  and  so 


A  PANIC. 


25 


w^  were.  He  prophesied  that  weM  be  thrown 
on  another  place,  and  this  is  that  place.  You  all 
know  what  I  mean.     I  mean  Sable  Island." 

The  boys  made  no  remark.  This  thought  had 
been  in  the  minds  of  all  of  them.  It  was  a  thought 
that  brought  the  deepest  anxiety  and  gloom.  For, 
bad  as  Anticosti  was,  there  was  one  worse  place ; 
and  that  place  was  the  very  sand-bank  before  them 
—  Sable  Island  I 

The  boys  had  all  along  been  hoping  for  deliver- 
ance, either  in  the  shape  of  some  passing  vessel 
or  some  sign  of  land.  But  this  land,  which  they 
had  Approached  unwittingly,  seemed  to  be  sur- 
rounded by  a  terror  far  worse  than  anything  that 
was  connected  with  their  present  situation.  For 
Sable  Island  —  that  treacherous  sand-bank  in  the 
midst  of  the  sea  —  had  always  been  known  to  all 
of  them  as  the  dread  of  seamen,  the  trap  of  ships, 
and  the  graveyai'd  of  shipwrecked  sailors.  The 
solitary  flag-staff  rose  there  out  of  the  low  island, 
as  though  to  warn  them  away,  like  a  signal  of 
danger ;  and  yet  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
move  away.  Without  sails,  and  without  a  com- 
pass, they  were  Iielpless ;  and  there  seemed  now 
no  prospect,  except  to  go  ashore  there  and  meet 
their  doom.  . 

Tom  was  the  first  to  rouse  himself. 

"  Captain,"  said  he, "here's  Sable  Island.  Come 
and  take  a  good  look  at  it,  for  we're  going  ashore." 

Captain  Corbet  had  been  so  intent  upon  his 


26 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


work  of  patching  the  old  sail,  that  ha  had  heard 
and  seen  nothing  of  this  excitement  among  the 
boys.  These  words  of  Tom  came,  therefore,  sud- 
denly and  abruptly,  and  filled  him  with  a  terror 
equal  to  theirs.  He  started  i.s  though  he  had  been 
shot.  His  needle  dropped  from  his  hands.  For  a 
few  moments  he  sat  staring  at  Tom ;  and  then  he 
rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  and  going  over  to  where 
the  boys  stood,  he  looked  out  over  the  waters  to 
where  their  eyes  were  directed.  He  stood  staring 
for  a  long  time  in  perfect  silence. 

"  Sable  Island  I  "  he  at  length  said,  in  a  low  voice. 
"  Wal,  boys, —  I  didn't  ever  think  —  I'd  ever  live 
—  to  see  —  this  here  day.  I've  ben  a  tryin  all  my 
life,  boys,  to  keep  clar  of  this  here  island;  but 
fate's  stronger  than  the  hand  of  man,  —  an  here 
we  air  I " 

**  0,  see  here  now,"  said  Tom.  "  Come,  now, 
captain,  this  here  sort  of  thing  won't  do  at  all, 
you  know.  There  can't  be  any  very  great  dan- 
ger. The  wind's  gone  down,  you  kaow.  The 
se&,'s  ever  so  much  smoother  than  it  was,  and 
it's  going  to  be  smoother  still.  All  sorts  of  vessels 
visit  this  island.  The  Nova  Scotia  government 
send  supplies  here  regularly ;  and  so  I  don't  see 
what  danger  there  is.  For  my  part,  I  think  we'd 
all  better  go  ashore.  The  more  I  think  of  it,  the 
more  convinced  I  am  that  we'll  be  better  off 
ashore  on  Sable  Island  than  we  are  drifting  about 
on  board  of  the  Antelope.      And  so  I  say,  Hurrah, 


ai 
oi 


TOM  DRIVES  AWAY  THE  PANIC, 


27 


now 


boys,  for  Sable  Island  I  Let's  go  pshore,  and  get 
a  decent  sail  for  this  vessel,  and  some  supplies." 

These  words  cheered  the  boys  amazingly.  A 
reaction  at  once  took  place.  Tom  was  right.  The 
sea  was  calm  enough  here  to  admit  of  a  landing 
anywhere :  and  in  the  face  of  this  fact  thoughts 
of  danger  were  not  to  be  entertained. 

Yet  the  panic  which  had  been  inspired  by  the 
very  name  of  Sable  Island  may  easily  be  ex- 
plained ;  and,  in  circumstances  like  these,  it  was 
quite  justifiable.  For  of  all  places  in  the  world, 
Sable  Island  is,  perhaps,  mo^.t  dreaded  by  seamen. 
It  is  a  low  sand-bank,  about  twenty  miles  long  and 
one  mile  wide.  This  much  is  above  water.  But 
besides  what  is  visible  to  the  eye,  there  is  much 
more  invisible,  treacherous,  beneath  the  sea,  ex- 
tending all  around  it.  Sable  Island  is,  in  fact,  the 
crest  of  a  vast  sand-bank  or  shoal,  which  rises  out 
of  the  ocean  depths,  about  a  hundred  miles  south- 
east of  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  in  the  very 
track  of  the  vast  commerce  between  England  and 
America.  Though  the  island  itself  is  not  more 
than  twenty  miles  long,  the  shoal  extends  much 
farther ;  and  it  has  been  calculated  that,  for  a  dis- 
tance of  fifty  miles,  there  is  danger  to  the  ehip 
which  ventures  too  near.  Moreover,  this  shoal 
runs  in  a  curved  line,  and  may  be  said  to  enclose 
in  a  segment  of  a  dangerous  circle  all  vessels 
sailing  north  of  it,  or  between  it  and  the  main  land. 
Approach  to  it  in  a  storm  is  always  dangerous; 


<■  iJ 


28 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


It.' '  ■■!! 


m 


and  with  certain  winds  it  is  positive  destruction ; 
wherefore  ships  always  give  it  a  wide  berth. 
Many  are  the  vessels  which  are  known  to  have 
been  lost  there ;  but  many  more,  by  iar,  are  sup- 
posed to  have  perished  on  the  outlying  shoals, 
without  leaving  a  vestige  behind  to  tell  of  their 
fate. 

Now,  however,  there  was  nothing  like  a  storm. 
The  wind,  that  had  prevailed  all  day,  was  gone ; 
and  it  only  needed  Tom^s  cheery  words  to  drive 
away  from  all  of  them  the  terror  that  for  a  time 
had  taken  possession  of  their  souls.  They  there- 
fore roused  themselves  from  the  silence  and  the 
gloom  into  which  they  had  fallen,  and  began  to 
talk  over  the  probabilities  of  a  landing.  Each  one 
brought  forth  all  that  he  knew  about  Sable  Island, 
and  added  it  to  the  common  stock  of  knowledge, 
until  at  length  a  ver}'^  favorable  idea  of  the  place 
was  formed.  Bart  knew  that  there  was  a  reg- 
ular overseer,  or  governor,  or  superintendent  of  the 
island,  placed  there  by  the  Nova  Scotia  govern- 
ment. Bruce  knew  that  a  vessel  was  sent  there 
four  times  a  year  to  convey  supplies,  and  to  take 
away  any  shipwrecked  people  who  might  be  there. 
Arthur  knew  that  there  were  huts,  built  for  tiie 
purposes  of  refuge,  in  diiferent  parts  of  the  island. 
Tom  was  sure  that  a  landing  could  be  made  in  ordi- 
nary weather,  without  much  trouble ;  and  Phil  was 
eloquent  on  the  subject  of  the  ponies  which  live  and 
thrive  on  the  island,  constituting  a  peculiar  breed, 


I 


w^ 

bH 

ai 

rei 

boj 

raj 


Eill^il^i 


DRIFTING. 


29 


well  known  in  Nova  Scotia,  where  a  batch  of  Sa- 
ble Island  ponies  are  brought  every  year,  sold  at 
auction,  and  dispersed  through  the  country.  The 
result  of  this  interchange  of  ideas  was,  that  the 
boys  at  length  began  to  look  upon  Sable  Island  as 
rather  a  desirable  place,  and  to  feel  impatient  for 
the  time  to  come  when  they  might  drift  near 
enough  to  make  a  landing. 

But  this  was  a  thing  for  which  they  had  to  wait. 
The  Antelope  was  certainly  drifting;  yet  her 
progress  was  slow,  and  there  was  no  way  of  has- 
tening it.  For  hour  after  hour  they  watched  the 
flag-staff,  and  the  low  line  of  land  away  n  the  ho- 
rizon, without  finding  themselves  near  enough  to 
thiak  of  going  ashore.  By  the  shifting  and  chan- 
ging position  of  the  flag-staff,  they  knew  that  they 
were  drifting  past  it ;  and  yet  there  was  no  way 
by  which  they  could  prevent  this.  In  the  first 
moments  of  their  panic,  the  possibility  of  drifting 
clear  of  Sable  Island  would  have  seemed  most 
welcome  to  all  of  them ;  but  now  that  they  had 
formed  the  plan  of  landing  there,  such  a  prospect 
seemed  not  at  all  desirable ;  and  the  slow  drift  of 
the  schooner,  while  it  bafiled  their  hopes,  filled 
them  all  with  impatience. 

In  this  way  the  hours  of  the  day  passed  away. 
It  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when 
they  first  saw  Sable  Island.  The  hours  went  by, 
and  sunset  came ;  still  they  were  not  near  enough. 
Night  was  impending,  yet  the  weather  was  too 


30 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


I'  '  I 


I  i.i' 


111 
iiL'iii 


calm  to  allow  of  uneasiness,  and  they  could  only 
hope  that  on  the  following  day  they  might  be  able 
to  make  the  landing  which  they  all  desired  so 
earnestly. 

Passing  the  night  in  the  vicinity  of  such  a  place 
as  Sable  Island  is  what  few  would  choose  for  any 
amount  of  money.  On  this  occasion,  most  fortu- 
nately,  the  weather  was  calm.  The  wind  had  died 
away  to  a  gentle  breeze,  and  the  water  was  quite 
smooth.  The  only  motion  experienced  by  those 
on  board  the  Antelope  was  that  long  rise  and  fall 
which  is  always  felt  out  at  sea,  owing  to  the  never- 
ending  undulation  of  the  ocean  waters. 

The  boys  went  below  and  slept.  Captain  Corbet, 
however,  remained  on  deck,  and  kept  his  lonely 
vigil  far  into  the  night.  The  first  mention  of  Sa- 
ble  Island  had  produced  upon  him  a  profound 
effect.  His  first  words  exhibited  something  like  a 
panic  terror,  which  might  have  communicated 
itself  to  the  boys,  had  it  not  been  for  Tom's  cheery 
exhortation.  From  that  first  terror  the  captain 
had  managed  to  extricate  himself;  yet  still  there 
remained,  deep  within  his  soul,  the  gloomiest  an- 
ticipations. The  night  was  not  particularly  dark. 
The  sky  was  dotted  with  innumerable  stars ;  yet 
so  low  was  the  island,  and  so  destitute  of  any  con- 
spicuous landmark,  that  it  passed  out  of  view  with 
the  early  twilight ;  nor  was  the  eagle  eye  of  the 
watchful  Corbet  able  to  detect  any  sign  of  the 
vanished  land.     At  length  he  determined  to  guard 


THE   ANCHOR   DROPPED. 


31 


lid  only 
be  able 
ired 


80 


a  place 
for  any 
t  fortu- 
ad  died 
IS  quite 
y  those 
and  fall 
»  never- 

Corbet, 

lonely 

of  Sa- 

ofound 

y  like  a 

nicated 

cheery 

captain 

I  there 

est  an- 

y  dark. 

;  yet 

ly  con- 
w  with 
of  the 
of  the 
guard 


against  the  danger  of  any  further  drifting,  and 
accordingly  proceeded  to  let  fall  the  anchor.  It 
was  about  two  hours  after  midnight  when  this  was 
done,  and  the  rattle  of  the  chains  awaked  the 
sleepers  below,  and  announced  that  at  last  their 
long  wanderings  were  arrested. 

On  the  following  morning  they  were  all  on  deck 
with  the  dawn  of  day,  and  looking  out  eagerly 
upon  the  waters.  The  sight  which  met  their  eyes 
was  one  which  could  have  given  nothing  like 
pleasure  to  any  others ;  yet  to  them  it  was  indeed 
pleasant,  so  far  as  it  went.  Thoy  saw  rising  out 
of  the  sea  a  low,  sandy  shore,  which  extended  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  About  opposite  them 
rose  a  flag-staff,  which  they  supposed  to  be  the 
one  that  they  had  seen  on  the  previous  evening, 
though  there  was  a  difference  of  a  most  important 
character  between  what  they  saw  then  and  now. 
For  here  they  saw  buildings  which  looked  like 
comfortable  residences,  perhaps  the  abode  of  the 
keeper  of  the  island.  Except  this  house  and  its 
belongings,  nothing  else  was  visible  along  that 
sandy  shore. 

The  Antelope  had  come  to  anchor  in  good  time, 
and  the  shore  was  not  quite  two  miles  away  from 
this  place.  Still,  so  shallow  were  the  waters,  and 
80  treacherous  the  sea  bottom,  that  it  was  not  at 
all  advisable  to  attempt  to  approach  nearer.  If 
they  wished  to  land,  they  would  have  to  do  so  in 
the  boat.    The  boat  floated  astern,  all  ready,  being 


82 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


i:'\ 


P  I'W 


no  other  than  that  one  which  they  had  saved  from 
the  ship  Petrel.     Into  this  they  prepared  to  go. 

For  this  voyage  all  the  boys  volunteered,  and 
Captain  Corbet  also.  Wade  was  to  be  left  aboard 
with  Solomon.  Bart  noticed  that  the  venerable 
African  was  looking  at  the  island  with  a  pensive 
gaze,  and  thought  that  he  saw  disappointment  in 
his  face. 

"  Would  you  like  to  come  ashore,  too,  Solomon  ?  " 
he  asked,  kindly. 

Solomon  shook  his  head. 

"  Darsn't,"  said  he.     *'  Darsn't,  no  how." 

"  Pooh,  nonsense  I  Why  not  ?  Come  along," 
said  Bart,  who  thought  that  this  was  some  of  Sol- 
omon's superstitious  fancies  which  were  now  af- 
fecting him. 

"  Darsn't,"  said  Solomon,  again.  "  Couldn't 
ebber  leave  it  agin.  An  don  you  go  an  try  to 
'suade  dis  yer  ole  man,  Mas'r  Bart,  if  you  don  want 
to  lose  him.  Tell  you  what  — dat  ar  island's  too 
safe ;  an  ef  I  foun  myself  dar,  I  wouldn't  ebber 
leave  it." 

"Safe?    What  from ?"  asked  Bart. 

Solomon  looked  all  around  with  the  glance  of 
one  who  fears  pursuit  and  capture  by  some  myste- 
rious enemy. 

"De  ole  complaint,"  said  he  at  last,  with  a  groan. 

*'  What,  rheumatism  ?  "  asked  Bart,  innocently. 

"  No,  sah,"  said  Solomon.  "  It's  Broom-atiz —  an 
acute  Broomatiz  too— what  I  cotches  from  de  ole 


m, 


THE  CONFIDENCES  OP  SOLOMON. 


33 


I  from 

go- 
:1,  and 

iboard 

evable 

ensive 

lent  in 

non  ?  " 


ilong," 
of  Sol- 
low  af- 

mldn't 

try  to 

want 

's  too 

ebber 


Ice  of 
lyste- 

jroan. 
Itly. 
1— -an 

le  ole 


woman  whenebber  she  finds  a  broomstick  handy. 
It  generally  attacks  me  over  do  back  and  shoul- 
ders. An  what's  wuss,  dar  ain't  a  medicine,  or  a 
liniment,  or  a  wash,  or  a  poultice,  dat  does  a  mite 
ob  good.  De  only  cure  is  for  me  to  go  an  hunt 
up  some  desert  island  in  de  middle  ob  de  ocean, 
an  habit  it  for  do  ress  ob  my  days  ;  an  so,  ef  I  Avas 
to  go  shore  dar,  I  might  hide,  an  nebbor  come 
back.  Too  great  'tractium ;  couldn't  resist  it. 
Safe  dar  forebbermo  from  dat  ar  ole  woman  ;  safe 
an  free  ;  no  more  knocks  an  bruises ;  no  more  ter- 
ror. 0,  Mas'r  Bart,  p'raps,  after  all,  dis  here  ole 
man  better  go  asho  dar,  an  hab  peace." 

"  Nonsense,  Solomon,"  said  Bart,  who  was  as- 
tonished at  learning  the  real  cause  of  Solomon's 
strange  fancy  for  Sable  Island.  ^'  Nonsense.  Don't 
get  that  notion  into  your  heed.  Your  wife  '11 
never  find  you.  You  come  to  Grand  Pr^,  and 
Dr.  Porter  will  protect  you." 

"  Dat  ar  place  is  de  berry  place  whar  I  kin  neb- 
ber  be  safe.  She's  dar  now,  a  waitin,  an  a  watch- 
in,  an  a  waitin  for  me.  I  know  it.  I  feel  it  in 
my  ole  bones.  Dey  allers  aches  when  I  think  ob 
her.  Ebery  mile  we  go  brings  me  nearer  to  her 
broom-handle ;  an  de  longer  I  stay  away,  de  wuss 
I'm  goin  to  cotch  it.  So,  p'raps,  Mas'r  Bart,  I'd 
better  go  asho  on  Sable  Island." 

The  idea  seemed  to  have  taken  full  possession 
of  Solomon's  mind,  and  to  such  an  extent,  that 
Bart  found  all  efforts  to  banish  it  utterly  uselobS. 
3 


f1 


i 


34 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE   SEAS. 


He  therefore  gave  it  up,  and  concluded,  under 
the  circumstances,  that  it  was  better  for  Solomon 
to  remain  on  board. 

The  boat  was  now  ready.  The  boys  and  Captain 
Corbet  were  calling  for  Bart  to  hurry  up.  Bait 
got  on  board,  and  they  pulled  away.  It  was  a  long 
pull;  but  the  water  was  smooth,  and  they  made 
good  progress.  At  length  the  boat  touched  the 
shore,  and  they  all  leaped  out  upon  the  sand. 


INHABITANTS   OF  SABLE   ISLAND. 


35 


III. 


! 


Landing.  —  A  friendly  Beceptlon,  and  a  bounteous 
Repast.  —  Sable  Island.  —  The  strange  Soil.  — 
The  sandy  Ridge.  —  TJie  Lake.  —  The  long  Walk. 
—  A  wonderful  Sight.  —  The  ancient  Ship.  —  TJie 
Governor's  Story.  — A  tremendous  Storm  and  its 
Effects.  —  A  great  Surprise.  —  Examination  and 
Exhumation.  —  Disaiopointment.  —  Theories.  — 
The  Governor  rides  a  Hobby-horse. 

W'BffHEN"  they  stepped  ashore  upon  Sable  Island 
they  found  themselves  in  the  presence  of 
the  whole  of  the  population.  This  popu- 
lation amounted  to  about  eleven  souls ;  namely, 
the  governor,  or  keeper,  or  guardian,  or  regent,  or 
whatever  else  he  may  be  called,  of  the  island,  six 
of  the  members  of  his  family  of  various  ages,  and 
four  able-bodied  men.  The  governor  was  a  bluff, 
broad-shouldered,  red-faced,  bearded  personage, 
with  a  bright  gray  eye  and  a  cheery  smile.  He 
had  a  reefing-jacket  and  "  sou'-wester  "  hat ;  while 
his  four  satellites  were  dressed,  two  in  reefers,  and 
two  in  Guernsey  jackets.  The  intercourse  of  the 
Sable  Islanders  with  the  outside  world  was  very 


36 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


&i!'  i 


infrequent,  and  usually  very  exciting,  so  that  on 
the  present  occasion  they  had  turned  out  in  force 
to  greet  their  extraordinary  visitors. 

Not  far  off  was  a  substantial  and  comfortable- 
looking  house,  that  seemed  well  adapted  to  with- 
stand the  Atlantic  storms,  and  shelter  its  inmates 
from  the  severity  of  the  weather.  A  few  small 
out-houses  adjoined  it,  and  in  the  distance,  where 
the  ground  rose  a  little  higher  than  usual,  was  the 
signal-staff  already  mentioned. 

Whatever  doubts  the  visitors  might  have  had 
about  the  reception  which  they  would  meet  with 
were  dispelled  at  once  and  utterly  by  the  first 
words  of  the  potentate,  whom  I  will  call  the  "Gov- 
ernor." Without  any  remark  as  to  the  suddenness 
of  their  appearance,  and  without  any  question 
about  their  errand,  he  at  once  shook  hands  with 
them  all  round,  and  invited  them  to  the  house  to 
breakfast,  which,  he  informed  them,  was  all  ready, 
and  waiting  for  them.  A  long  and  dreary  voyage 
and  monotonous  sea  life  made  a  meal  on  shore  seem 
attractive  beyond  expression  to  all  of  them,  and 
the  kind  invitation  was  most  thankfully  accepted. 
Whereupon  the  governor  led  the  way  to  the  house 
above-mentioned,  and  ushered  his  visitors  into  a 
large  but  low  room,  where  a  long  table  was  spread, 
and  lay  invitingly  before  their  eyes.  Here  they 
seated  themselves,  and  partook  of  the  governor's 
Sable  Island  hospitality,  in  the  shape  of  fragrant 
coffee;  and  hot  rolls,  and  baked  potatoes,  and  corned 


THE  GOVERNOR, 


37 


that  on 
in  force 

brtable- 
to  "Nvitb- 
inmates 
w  small 
,  where 
was  the 

ive  had 
jet  with 
lie  firbt 
e  "  Gov- 
denness 
j^uestion 
ds  with 
ouse  to 
I  ready, 
voyage 
re  seem 
lem,  and 
5cepted. 
|e  house 
into  a 
spread, 
|re  they 
pernor's 
fragrant 
corned 


beef  and  tongue,  with  other  articles  too  numerous 
to  mention  ;  all  of  which  served  to  eftace  from  the 
minds  of  tlie  guests  the  memory  of  late  hardships, 
and  to  diffuse  among  them  a  general  feeling  of 
peace  and  calm,  of  cheerfulness  and  content. 

In  the  course  of  this  repast  the  visitors  made 
known  to  the  governor  their  whole  story,  and  that 
story  was  heard  by  him  with  an  astonishment 
which  he  did  not  attempt  to  conceal.  The  fact 
that  they  should  have  been  drifting  blindly  about 
without  finding  any  place  of  refuge,  and  that  t'ley 
had  finally  been  forced  to  seek  for  help  from  him  in 
this  place,  of  all  others,  was  so  overwhelming, 
that  at  first  he  seemed  unable  to  believe  it;  and 
even  after  he  had  been  compelled  to  yield  his  faith, 
his  reason  remained  unsatisfied.  The  thing  was 
true,  yet  unintelligible,  and  to  his  mind  simply  pre- 
posterous. Yet  there  was  the  fact,  and  here  were 
the  factors,  that  went  to  constitute  that  fact.  The 
governor  was  dumfounded.  Captain  Corbet  was 
clearly  beyond  him. 

At  length,  like  a  wise  man,  he  gave  up  the  at- 
tempt to  fathom  what  was  .,.  .  rutabie,  and  devoted 
himself  rather  to  the  practical  duties  of  hospitality. 
He  promised  to  let  Captain  Corbet  have  what  he 
wanted,  and  also  he  offered  to  do  the  honors  of 
Sable  Island,  and  show  the  boys  all  that  wks  worth 
seeing. 

The  governor  was  thus  not  only  hospitable,  but 
also  very  communicative.     He  told  them  all  about 


5 


38 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


Sable  Island,  and  gave  them  much  information,  in 
addition  to  what  they  had  already  learned  about 
this  singular  phice. 

The  little  colony  was  placed  here  for  the  pur- 
pose of  giving  aid  and  comfort  to  .any  who  might 
bo  unfortunate  enough  to  be  shipwrecked  here. 
Full  supplies  of  all  sorts  of  stores  and  provisions 
were  placed  on  the  island  under  his  care.  In 
addition  to  the  buildings  at  this  place  there  were 
two  other  houses  of  retuge,  flirther  away  ^owuids 
the  east,  and  also  two  other  signal-staffs.  In  the 
other  houses  of  refuge  no  one  lived,  but  supplies 
of  food  and  fuel  were  laid  up  there  for  the  benefit 
of  those  who  might  need  them.  There  was  no 
lighthouse,  because  it  was  believed  that  a  light 
might  have  a  tendency  to  mislead,  and  because  all 
Geamer  sought  to  keep  as  far  away  as  possible  from 
the  island. 

Sable  Island,  in  fact,  is  nothing  more  than  the 
ridge  of  a  vast  sand-bank,  which  rises  from  the 
ocean  depths,  and  at  this  place  emerges  for  a  few 
feet  above  its  surface.  The  sandy  ridge  is  over 
twenty  miles  in  length,  and  is  curved  in  its  form. 
The  shallows  at  either  extremity  also  follow  this 
curved  line,  so  that  the  whole  extent  of  this  place 
of  danger,  including  the  shoals  as  well  as  the 
island,  is  not  much  less  than  fifty  miles.  Its  con- 
cave side  is  towards  the  north-west,  and  ships 
on  that  side  in  stormy  w^eather  are  in  great  peril 
whenever  they  come  within  twenty  miles  of  the 


THE  governor's   ACCOUNT. 


39 


* 


place.  As  a  consequence,  many  wrecks  occur, 
some  of  which  are  known,  while  more  are  never 
heard  of,  and  can  only  be  conjectured.  Caught,  so 
to  speak,  between  the  long-extended  arms  of  this 
treacherous  sand-bank,  they  are  swept  helplessly 
to  destruction  among  the  waters  that  rage  over 
these  far-reaching  shoals. 

Once  every  three  months  a  vessel  comes  here 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  bring  supplies  and  to  take 
off  any  who  may  have  been  cast  ashore.  The  land- 
ing is  often  difficult,  and  sometimes  impossible,  so 
that  the  vessel  has  to  keep  away  for  a  long  time 
before  daring  to  venture  near. 

The  governor  informed  them  that  life  here,  on 
the  whole,  was  not  unpleasant,  but  that  in  winter 
there  were  times  when  it  was  impossible  to  ven- 
ture forth  out  of  the  house.  The  cold  was  never 
excessive,  for  the  surrounding  waters  made  the 
temperature  milder  than  that  of  the  adjacent  main 
land ;  but  the  storms  were  terrific,  and  sometimes 
the  sea  seemed  to  make  a  clean  sweep  over  the 
island,  and  all  the  air  was  filled  with  clouds  of 
driving  spray.  After  such  storms  as  these  it  was 
always  their  practice  to  explore  the  island  in  search 
of  shipwrecks.  Sometimes  they  found  human  be- 
ings, who  had  been  cast  ashore,  huddled  for  shelter 
behind  hillocks,  or  in  the  other  houses  of  refuge 
and  brought  them  back ;  but  more  frequently  the 
only  result  of  their  search  was  the  sight  of  some 
fragments  of  a  lost  ship  which  the  furious  waves 


1^ 


40 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  d£AS. 


had  washed  ashore ;  or,  worse  still,  the  lifeless 
bodies  of  those  who  had  perished  amid  the  raging 
waters.  These  last  were  always  conveyed  to  the 
burial-ground  of  the  island,  where  they  were  com- 
mitted to  the  grave  with  solemn  ceremony,  the 
governor  reading  over  them  the  burial  service  of 
the  church. 

This  information  and  much  more  was  communi- 
cated at  breakfast ;  and  after  the  repast  was  over, 
the  governor  proceeded  to  fulfil  his  promise  by 
taking  the  boys  out  to  show  them  Sable  Island. 

It  did  not  appear  as  though  there  could  be  much 
to  see.  On  leaving  the  house  there  spread  away 
a  sandy  waste,  whereon  grew  some  coarse  grass. 
This  grass  grew  not  close  enough  to  form  anything 
like  turf,  yet  in  sufficient  abundance  to  afford  pas- 
turage to  herds  of  wild  ponies  which  belong  to  the 
island.  These  ponies  were  put  here  many  years 
ago,  and  in  successive  generations  have  become 
developed  into  a  wonderfully  intelligent  and  hardy 
little  animal,  ugly,  woolly,  yet  strong,  and  capable 
of  feeding  on  anything.  They  endure  the  severity 
of  the  winter  season  here  without  any  shelter  what- 
ever ;  and  when  snow  is  on  the  ground  they  get  at 
the  grass  underneath  with  the  same  ready  instinct 
that  is  exhibited  by  the  buffaloes  on  the  western 
prairies. 

After  walking  some  distance,  they  reached  the 
crest  of  the  sand  ridge,  and  from  this  place  they 
saw  a  long,  narrow  sheet  of  water.     This  Wiey  were 


n 
lei 

le 

m 
slj 
he 
lal 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  ISLAND. 


41 


the 
they 
were 


informed  was  a  lake,  which  took  up  half  of  the 
length  of  the  island,  being  more  than  ten  miles  in 
length ;  the  formation  of  the  island  being  what 
may  be  called  a  long,  irregular  oval,  enclosing  this 
sheet  of  water.  The  eastern  half  of  the  island  is, 
however,  a  solid,  continuous  sand-bank,  and  the 
lake  lies  rather  towards  its  western  end. 

It  is  the  eastern  end  which  is  most  affected  by 
storms.  Here  the  herbage  is  scanter,  and  the  hil- 
locks more  frequent ;  here,  too,  the  sand  shifts  and 
changes  with  every  storm.  The  governor  informed 
them  that  after  every  very  great  storm,  important 
changes  might  be  seen  in  this  direction,  and  men- 
tioned that  one  of  a  very  interesting  nature  had 
occurred  a  few  months  previously  in  a  tremendous 
equinoctial  gale,  which  had  been  by  far  the  wildest 
that  had  taken  place  since  his  residence  on  the 
island.  This  he  promised  to  show  them,  and  led 
the  way  to  the  place  where  the  object  to  which  he 
referred  might  be  seen. 

They  walked  about  four  miles,  and  at  length 
reached  a  pond  which  was  about  in  the  middle  of 
the  island,  and  at  an  equal  distance  from  either 
aide.  Here  a  black  object  arose,  which  the  boys  at 
first  took  for  some  sort  of  a  rock.  As  they  drew 
nearer,  it  looked  more  like  a  hut ;  but  finally,  on 
coming  close,  they  saw,  to  their  utter  amazement, 
that  it  was  nothing  else  than  the  hull  of  a  ship. 

That  ship  had  a  most  singular  form.  The  tim- 
bers had  been  greatly  broken,  and  the  decks  had 


1 


42 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


\  anished  long  ago ;  but  the  outlines  were  visible 
b^  the  broken  beams,  and  it  seemed  to  have  been 
about  five  or  six  hundred  tons  burden.  But  Avhat 
most  impressed  them  was  the  quaint  and  singular 
appearance  of  the  stern.  This  part  had  been  less 
injured  than  the  rest.  It  rose  to  a  height  of  over 
sixteen  feet,  and  much  more  was  still  buried  in  the 
sand.  The  uppermost  portion  was  battered  and 
broken ;  but  beneath  this  there  was  a  second  deck 
and  a  third.  Beween  this  second  deck  and  the  third 
was  what  might  once  have  been  a  cabin,  and  the 
broken  port-holes  astern,  that  once  gave  light,  were 
still  plainly  visible.  The  great  height  of  the  stern 
and  its  division  into  successive  stories,  reminded 
the  boys  of  the  pictures  which  they  had  seen  of 
the  ships  of  three  centuries  back,  and  filled  their 
minds  with  intense  excitement. 

"  This  ship,"  said  the  governor, "  was  uncovered 
by  the  great  gale  of  last  March.  Until  that  time 
it  had  been  completely  covered  by  the  sand,  which 
formed  around  it  the  biggest  hillock  on  the  island. 
I  never  had  any  idea  that  inside  of  that  hillock 
there  was  anything  of  this  sort.  I  attributed  the 
formation  of  the  hillock  to  the  accidental  concur- 
rence of  the  winds  which  had  gathered  the  sand  up 
here.  You  would  scarcely  believe  how  large  it 
was.  Why,  for  hundreds  of  yards  all  around  here 
that  hill  extended,  and  it  was  over  thirty  feet 
higher  than  where  we  now  are. 

"  Well,  a  few  days  after  the  great  gale,  I  came 


visible 
VG  been 
ut  what 
singular 
sen  les3 
of  over 
d  in  the 
red  and 
nd  deck 
he  third 
and  the 
it,  were 
le  stern 
sminded 
seen  of 
jd  their 

covered 
at  time 
,  which 
!  island, 
hillock 
ted  the 
concur- 
?and  up 
arge  it 
id  here 
'ty  feet 

I  came 


THE   governor's   ACCOUNT. 


48 


out  in  this  direction,  and  noticed,  to  my  amazement, 
that  the  hill  was  gone  !  That  didnH  surprise  me 
much,  for  I  had  known  ether  such  changes  to  take 
place  in  every  storm,  though  I  had  never  known 
any  on  such  an  extensive  scale.  But  when  I  came 
nearer,  and  saw  this  old  hull,  you  may  depend  upon 
it  I  was  astonished  enough.  Here  it  was,  —  all 
laid  bare,  all  the  sand  blown  away  just  as  you  see 
it  now,  except  the  cabin  there,  which  I  proceeded 
to  clear  out  as  soon  as  I  could. 

"  Now,  the  first  glance  showed  me  that  this  old 
hull  must  be  at  least  a  couple  of  hundred  years 
old ;  and  I  took  it  for  one  of  the  old  French  or 
English  ships  that  had  been  wrecked  here  in  the 
early  days  of  American  colonization.  I  accounted  for 
its  position  so  far  inland  in  the  easiest  manner  in  the 
world.  The  fact  is,  this  whole  island  is  all  the  time 
shifting  and  changing.  I  don't  believe  it  is  in  the 
least  like  what  it  used  to  be.  When  this  ship  got 
here,  I  believe  this  was  a  shoal  where  she  drove 
ashore  in  some  tremendous  gale,  and  was  soon 
covered  up  with  sand.  Gradually  the  sand  gathered 
about  her  more  and  more,  and  the  island  changed 
its  shape,  and  the  shoal  rose  above  the  water,  till 
at  last  this  place  became  the  middle  of  the  island. 
Two  or  three  hundred  years  from  this,  I  dare  say 
there'll  be  miles  of  land  away  off  there  to  the 
north,  all  along,  and  this'll  be  considered  the  South 
Shore." 

"  But  didn't  you  find  anything  aboard  of  her  ?  " 
asked  Bart,  in  eager  curiosity. 


I !  ■ 


i 
i 


44 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


"Well,  that  was  the  very  first  thing  I  thought 
of.  This  old-fashioned  ship  reminded  me  of  the 
Spanish  galleons  that  used  to  take  cargoes  of  gold 
and  silver  across  the  water,  and  I  was  full  of  the 
idea  that  there  might  be  some  immense  treasure 
still  on  board.  The  sand  had  preserved  the  wood 
from  decay,  and  gold  was  still  more  likely  to  be  pre- 
served. So  I  hurried  back  at  once,  and  got  a  shovel, 
and  came  here  alone.  I  cleared  out  the  whole 
cabin  there  that  day,  and  to  my  deep  disappoint- 
ment, I  found  not  one  single  thing.  I  found  it,  in 
fact,  just  as  you  see  it  now  —  completely  cleaned 
out  by  the  waves.  Everything  had  gone,  except  the 
timbers  and  some  of  the  deck  work.  Doors  had 
been  torn  off,  and  the  whole  front  of  the  quarter- 
deck had  been  forced  away.  There  were  no  mova- 
bles of  any  kind,  nothing,  in  fact,  except  those 
beams  and  planks,  that  had  been  strong  enough  to 
resist  the  fury  of  the  waves. 

"  I  went  back  that  day  in  deep  disappointment, 
and  gave  up  all  hope  of  finding  anything.  On  the 
following  day  I  called  all  hands  together,  and 
we  all  came  here  to  examine  the  hull.  We  worked 
for  about  a  week,  and  dug  out  most  of  the  sand, — 
it's  all  back  again,  though,  you  see,  —  and  in  other 
places  we  thrust  in  poles  to  see  if  anything  w^as 
there.  We  found  nothing,  however;  no  gold  or 
silver,  no  precious  stones ;  nothing,  in  fact,  but  a 
rusty,  demoralized,  and  depraved  old  cannon,  that 
looked  as  though  it  had  been  cast  for  the  Spanish 


1 


THE  governor's   ACCOUNT. 


45 


;hought 

of  the 

of  gold 

of  the 
reasiire 
e  wood 
be  pre- 
shovel, 

whole 
ppoint- 
d  it,  in 
jleaned 
ept  the 
irs  had 
uarter- 

mova- 

those 
agh  to 

troent, 
)n  the 
',  and 
orked 
nd, — 
other 
^  was 
5ld  or 
but  a 
I,  that 
>anish 


Armada.    The  old  piece  is  over  there  in  the  house, 
preserved  as  a  curiosity." 

"  And  so  you  didn't  get  anything  ?  "  said  Bruce, 
in  a  tone  of  disappointment. 

"  Not  a  thing,  except  the  cannon,''  said  the 
governor  ;  "  and  I  leave  you  to  imagine  my  disap- 
pointment. I  was  at  first  sure  of  making  my  for- 
tune, retiring  from  the  island  at  once,  and  going 
home  to  live  on  my  wealth.  But  I'm  afraid  1  shall 
have  to  postpone  that  for  a  long  time." 

"  Do  you  suppose  there  ever  was  any  treasure 
on  board  of  her?"  asked  Arthur. 

"  Well,  yes.  I  not  only  suppose  so,  but  I  almost 
feel  certain  that  at  one  time  there  was  a  good  dc  d 
of  gold  and  silver  aboard  of  this  very  ship.  I've 
examined  her,  and  studied  her  very  attentively. 
Look  at  her  now  for  yourselves.  Notice  how  high 
that  stern  is.  I  don't  think  those  high  sterns  were 
used  later  than  the  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  It  was 
in  just  such  ships  as  this  that  the  Spaniards  brought 
their  gold  and  silver  across  the  water.  In  fact, 
boys,  I  believe  that  this  is  neither  more  nor  less 
than  a  Spanish  galleon.  Believe  ?  in  fact  I  know  it. 
For  on  that  old  gun  that  I  spoke  of,  there  is  a  cast 
that's  precisely  the  same  that  you  see  on  the  old 
Spanish  dollars  —  the  arms  of  Spain. 

"  Now  I'll  tell  you  what  the  idea  is  that  I've 
formed  about  this  ship.  You  know  that  in  the 
days  of  Elizabeth  the  Spanish  Mam  swarmed  with 
buccaneers,  who  seized  the  treasure  ships  whenever 


46 


THE   TREASURE   OF   TIIK   SEAS. 


m 


■^1 ,,., 

.'1! 


.1.    HI 

I 


they  could.  Among  these,  English  sailors  were 
the  worst.  You  know  that  well  enough.  Well, 
my  idea  is,  that  some  of  these  buccaneers  seized 
this  very  galleon,  plundered  her  of  everything, 
and  let  her  go.  I  don't  think  that  a  Spanish  ship 
would  have  been  likely  to  be  driven  up  hero 
from  the  West  Indies,  or  to  drift  here.  I  think  it 
most  likely  that  she  was  seized  and  brought  here." 

"  But  perhaps,"  said  Bart,  "  the  buccaneers  were 
lost  in  her." 

"  It's  possible,  certainly,"  said  the  governor, "  but 
I  don't  quite  think  it.  I  think,  if  there  had  been  any 
gold  left,  some  of  it  would  have  been  left  herea- 
bouts in  the  hull.  No.  I  think  it  most  likely  that 
she  has  been  plundered  by  the  buccaneers,  who 
then  let  her  go,  —  for  a  big,  clumsy  ship,  like  this, 
was  no  good  for  their  purposes.  They  may  have 
let  the  Spanish  sailors  go  in  her,  —  not  unlikely; 
and  if  so,  the  poor  wretches  left  their  bones  in 
these  sands.'^ 

"  But  w4iat  would  buccaneers  come  here  for?" 
asked  Bart,  — ''  so  far  to  the  north.  I  thought 
they  all  lived  around  the  Spanish  Main.'^ 

"  Ah,"  said  the  governor,  ''  that  brings  up  the 
very  point  that  proves  my  whole  theory." 


THE  BUCCANEERS. 


47 


•8  were 
Well, 
seized 
ything, 
sh  ship 
ip  hero 
:liink  it 
t  here." 
rs  were 

>r, "  but 
sen  any 
r  herea- 
jly  that 
's,  who 
ie  this, 
y  have 
likely ; 
ines  in 

for  ?  " 
lought 

p   the 


M 


IV. 


The  Buccaneers.  —  The  Traditions  of  Mahone  Bay. 
—  The  Spanish  Galleon.  —  Tlie  buried  Treasure 
of  the  Buccaneers.  —  The  Plunder  of  the  Spanish 
Main.  —  The  lost  Ship.  —  The  Arms  of  the  royal 
House  of  Spain.  —  Convincing  Proof.  —  Further 
Wanderings.  —  Undisciplined  Ponies.  —  A  last 
Farewell.  —  The  Antelope  departs.  —  The  Plan  of 
the  Boys.  —  Corbet  grieves^  but  yields.  —  Out  of 
the  Reach  of  Danger. 

^OU  must  be  aware,  in  the  first  place,"  said 
the  governor,"  that  over  the  whole  Atlantic 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia  there  are  traditions 
of  the  buccaneers.  There  is  one  place,  however, 
where  these  traditions  seem  to  have  a  centre,  and 
that  is  Mahone  Bay.  The  people  there  have  handed 
these  traditions  on  from  father  to  son  ever  since  the 
country  was  settled  ;  and  the  belief  at  this  time,  is 
as  strong  as  ever,  if  not  stronger.  The  only 
change  that  they  have  made  is  in  the  name.  They 
do  not  speak  of  the  buccaneers  but  of  one  certain 
man,  whose  name  all  over  America  seems  to  have 
lent   itself  to  every  tradition   that  tlio  pr\?^t   ha?; 


■  1 

•  r 


■  I 


I't ' 


m 


48 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


handed  down  about  pirates  and  piracy.  This  is 
Captain  Kidd.  So  at  Mahone  Bay  the  traditions 
all  refer  to  him. 

"  Now  I  don't  bblievo  that  these  traditions  origi- 
nated in  nothing,  but  that  they  grew  out  of  actual 
facts.  The  buccaneers,  when  they  infested  the 
Spanish  Main,  needed  some  place  in  which  to 
store  their  plunder.  They  wanted  a  place  which 
was  at  once  safe  from  pursuit,  and  so  remote  that 
the  Spaniards  would  never  think  of  following  them. 
Well,  this  they  could  gain  by  sailing  far  enough  to 
the  north,  and  Nova  Scotia  naturally  seer  d  the 
best  stopping-place  ;  first,  because  it  se  d  to 
them  like  the  last  point  of  the  coast  of  the  main 
land,  and  secondly,  because  it  was  convenient  for 
a  run  over  to  Europe.  Besides,  Nova  Scotia 
afforded  a  greater  number  of  first-rate  harbors 
than  could  bo  found  in  any  part,  not  only  of 
America,  but  of  the  world.  It  was  therefore  out  of 
the  way  of  pursuit  and  discovery,  and  the  best 
place  that  they  could  wish  to  have. 

"  Well,  now,  among  all  the  harbors  that  line  the 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  there  isn't  any  that  can  bo 
compared  to  Mahone  Bay  for  the  purposes  of  the 
buccaneers.  Once  in  it,  and  discovery  or  capture 
is  next  to  impossible.  The  bay  is  spacious  and 
deep,  without  shoals  or  currents,  and,  above  all, 
dotted  with  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  islands  of 
every  sort  and  size.  Among  these  a  hiding-place 
could  be  found;  that  for  safety  and  seclusion  could 


nl 
tf 
e 
h 


THE   BURIED   TREASURE. 


49 


Thia  is 
aditions 

IS  origi- 
f  actual 
ted  tho 
Inch  to 
)  which 
3te  that 
g  them, 
ough  to 
*  d  the 
J  to 
he  main 
ient  for 
Scotia 
harbors 
m\y  of 
out  of 
e  best 


'T 


not  bo  equalled  anywhere  else.  Arid  what  are 
the  facts?  Why,  tho  tradition  of  the  country 
ever  sinco  asserts  that  this  very  bay  was  a  chosen 
haunt  of  pirates  in  the  old  piratical  days. 

"  And  what's  more/'  continued  the  governor, 
*'this  tradition  isn't  vague  and  general,  but  it's 
direct  and  specific.  It  points  to  some  one  place 
there,  —  one  of  those  islands  in  particular  that  is 
distinguished  from  all  the  other  islands.  1  don't 
know  the  name  of  it ;  1  don't  know  that  I  ever 
heard  it ;  but  I  do  know  that  there  is  such  an 
island,  —  one  of  those  three  hundred  and  sixty-five, 
that  is  pointed  out  and  well  known  as  the  place 
frequented  by  the  buccaneers.  Everybody  says, 
that  on  this  island  they  lived,  and  that  in  this 
island,  deep  down,  —  under  the  level  of  the  sea, 
in  fact,  —  the  buccaneers  buried  the  plunder  of  the 
Spanish  Main. 

"  Of  course,  as  1  said,  they  don't  speak  of  the 
buccaneers,  but  of  Captain  Kidd.  They  call  it 
Kidd's  treasure.  But  it's  all  the  same.  The  fact 
remain::,  whatever  changes  mere  names  may  under- 
go. Now,  mind  you,  I  don't  say  that  there's  any 
treasure  there  now,  —  it  may  have  been  all  dug 
up  by  the  very  men  who  buried  it,  or  by  others 
who  knew  about  it.  It's  a  long  time  since  it  was 
buried,  and  Mahone  Bay  had  no  settlements  for 
generations.  At  the  same  time  it's  quite  probable 
that  it  may   be   there  still;  and  I,  for  my  part, 


!ii  ; 


m 


i 


m 


if«'fi 


■;sail 


50 


THE  TEEASUEE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


shouldn't  be  a  bit  surprised  to  hear  at  any  time 
that  some  lucky  fellow  has  got  hold  of  it  all." 

"  I  suppose  you  never  went  to  Mahone  Bay  your- 
self," said  Bart. 

"  Well,  no,"  said  the  governor.  "  The  fact  is,  I 
never  thought  much  about  it  until  lately,  after  the 
old  galleon  set  me  speculating  about  it;  and  then  I 
remembered  old  things  that  I  had  heard.  Go  there? 
—  O,  no!  —  I'm  too  old.  If  I  were  a  young  man, 
without  a  family,  I'd  make  a  dash  at  it ;  but  now 
it's  impossible.  I'd  have  to  give  up  my  situation. 
0,  no  I  I  dare  say  somebody'll  make  his  Ibrtune 
there  one  day ;  but  that'll  never  be  my  luck. 
And  as  for  treasure,  I  believe  that  there's  lots  of 
it  deep  under  these  sands,  all  about,  if  one  only 
knew   where  to  dig  —  but  that's  the   difficulty. 

^'And  so,  you  see,  that's  the  conclusion  I've 
come  to —  putting  this  and  that  together.  This  is 
a  Spanish  galleon.  Here  she  is,  —  ever  so  far  out 
of  the  course  which  the  treasure  ships  of  the  In- 
dies usually  followed,  —  up  here  in  these  seas,  in 
close  proximity  to  the  most  notorious  haunt  of  the 
old  buccaneers.  Do  you  suppose  they  had  nothing 
to  do  with  this?  Of  course  they  had  —  every- 
thing. In  those  days  no  ship  in  these  waters  could 
have  escaped  their  eyes,  much  less  a  big  Spanish 
ship  full  of  gold  and  silver.  Mark  my  words.  As 
I  said  at  first,  they  captured  her,  brought  her 
hero,  unloaded  her,  buried  her  gold  and  her  silver 
in  Mahone  Bay  somewhere  —  on  that  island  that  I 
spoke  of,  and  then  let  the  ship  go." 


THE  PLUNDER   OF  THE  SPANISH   MAIN. 


51 


y  time 


n 


y  your- 

ct  is,  I 
fter  the 
[  then  I 
►  there  ? 
ig  man, 
)ut  now 
tuation. 
fortune 
ly  luck, 
i  lots  of 
me  only 
ficulty. 
on   I've 
This  is 
far  out 
the  In- 
seas,  in 
of  the 
10  thing 
every- 
could 
)panish 


This  notion  of  the  governor's  might  have  been 
critically  examined  and  utterly  disproved  by  a 
competent  person ;  but  for  such  a  task  the  boys 
were  too  ignorant  and  inexperienced.  The  firm 
belief  of  the  governor  in  his  extraordinary  theory 
affected  every  one  of  the  boys  most  profoundly ; 
nor  cou!  i  any  of  them  see  a  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  perfectly  true  in  every  particular.  Every 
word  that  he  had  uttered  sank  deep  into  their  souls, 
aiid  everv  one  of  them  felt  himself  filled  with  an 
irresistible  desire  to  hurry  off  at  once  to  Malione 
Bav,  and  seek  for  the  island  where  the  buccaneers 
had  buried  the  plunder  of  the  Spanish  Main. 

On  the  present  occasion  they  poured  upon  him  a 
torrent  of  questions  of  all  sorts,  every  one  of  which 
showed  how  attentively  they  had  listened  to  his 
story,  and  how  eager  the  curiosity  v  is  which  they 
all  felt.  The  governor  answered  everything  with 
the  minuteness  and  the  exactness  that  characterize 
a  man  when  he  finds  that  his  own  particular  hobby 
meets  with  respectful  appreciation  from  others. 

At  length  they  turned  back  to  the  house,  talk- 
ing all  the  way  about  Spanish  galleons,  treasure? 
ships,  the  buccaneers,  gold,  silver,  diamonds,  tho 
Spanish  Main,  and  the  various  haunts  of  the  old 
marauders  —  subjects  ^''iscinating  above  all  tilings 
to  these  boys,  as  they  are  to  all  bo;y  s^  so  fascinating 
indeed,  that  they  were  sorry  when  they  came 
back  to  the  house.  Here,  however,  anoth'^r  pleas- 
ure awaited  them,  for  the  governor  showed  tliem 


•  M 


V 


52 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


the  very  gun  that  he  liad  found  on  the  old  ship, 
and  pointed  with  respectful  pride  to  certain  marks 
upon  it.  The  gun  was  teiribly  rusty,  and  the 
marks  had  been  so  effaced  that  they  were  capable 
of  being  interpreted  to  mean  anything;  but  the 
governor  assured  them  that  they  were  the  es- 
cutcheon of  the  Royal  House  of  Spain,  and  the 
boys  believed  it  in)plicitly.  Other  and  more  criti- 
cal inquirers  w^ould  have  asked  what  the  governor 
meant  by  the  arms  of  the  Royal  House  of  Spain, 
and  inquired  whether  he  meant  the  house  of  Arra- 
gon,  or  of  Hapsburg,  or  of  Bourbon.  To  the  boys, 
however,  such  a  question  never  occurred. 

Tlie  water  was  still  calm ;  but  Sable  Island  is  a 
place  wiiere  no  one  can  stay  long.  The  governor 
therefore  hurried  up  the  venerable  Corbet,  —  who, 
on  this  as  on  other  occasions,  seemed  to  give  indi- 
cations of  a  dilatory  disposition,  —  and  furnished 
him  with  some  sails,  which,  with  a  little  alteration, 
would  suit  the  Antelope  very  well.  Upon  this 
Corbet  returned  in  his  boat  to  the  schooner,  car- 
rying the  sails  with  him,  and  one  of  the  Sable 
Islanders  to  help  him  rig  the  sails.  The  boys  were 
to  be  put  aboard  by  the  governor  later  in  the  day. 

They  then  went  off  with  their  genial  host  to 
other  parts  of  the  island.  This  journey  was  made 
on  ponies  which  had  been  broken,  yet  not  so  much 
but  that  they  retained  a  very  fair  share  of  their 
original  wildness.  The  riding  was  not  very  con- 
ducive to  speed.    All  of  the  boj^s  were  thrown,  but 


I 


)lcl  ship, 
u  marks 
iiid  tho 
capable 
but  the 
the  es- 
and  tho 
re  criti- 
jovernor 
(f  Spam, 
of  Arra- 
iie  boys, 

and  is  a 

>'overnor 

,  —  who, 

ve  indi- 

irnished 

tcration, 

3011  this 

iier,  car- 

e  Sable 

ys  were 

[he  day. 

host  to 

LS  made 

50  miicli 

)f  their 

sry  con- 

Iwn,  but 


FURTHER  WANDERINGS. 


53 


none  of  them  were  hurt  on  the  sandy  soil,  and  the 
governor  made  himself  merry  over  their  horseman- 
ship. As  to  scenery,  there  was  nothing  dilFercnt 
iVom  what  they  had  already  encountered,  except 
numerous  wild  fowl  that  frequented  the  lake. 

By  the  time  that  they  returned  they  saw  the 
Antelope  with  her  sails  filled,  and  a  boat  drawn  up 
on  the  beach  to  convey  them  aboard.  The  gov- 
ernor shook  hands  with  them  all  most  heartily  on 
bidding  them  good  by. 

"  Good  b}^,  my  lads,"  said  he.  *^  I'm  the  most  un- 
happy of  men  in  one  way.  Although  I  keep  ship- 
wrecked guests  an  immense  time,  I  dare  not  be 
hospitable  to  visitors.  I  would  press  you  to  stay 
all  niglit,  but  I'm  afraid  to.  If  you  had  a  better 
craft,  and  a  better  captain,  I  might  venture  to  do 
it;  biit  even  then,  it  wouldn't  be  safe.  As  it  is,  it 
would  be  madness,  and  my  only  parting  word  to 
you  is,  to  hurry  away  as  fast  as  you  can,  and  get 
away  as  far  as  possible  from  Sable  Island." 

Tiio  boys  g  )t  on  board  ;  the  sturdy  Sable  Island- 
ers bent  to  their  oars,  and  soon  their  vigorous 
strokes  drove  the  boat  far  out  to  sea.  But  all  the 
way  the  boys  could  see  the  little  group  on  the 
shore  watching  them.  On  reaching  the  Antelope, 
tiiey  found  all  ready  for  a  start.  The  Sable  Islander 
who  had  accompanied  Captain  Corbet  returned 
with  his  companions ;  and  as  the  Antelope  moved 
away,  the  flag  of  the  B.  0.  W.  C.  went  up  and 
down  rapidly,  and  three  ringing  cheers  burst  forth 
from  the  boys. 


liH 


:nil 


!l.i3 


II,  i , 


iiii 


54 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


I 
I 

tf  1.;:  '•'■ 


feiii 


So  ended  their  very  remarkable  and  eventful 
visit  to  the  most  fearful  and  dangerous  of  all  the 
islands  of  the  sea.  Few,  indeed,  are  the  vessels 
which,  having  drifted  upon  this  perilous  coast,  are 
able  to  leave  it  so  safely,  and  so  pleasantly.  For 
Sable  Island  generally  surrounds  itself  with  de- 
stroying terrors  for  those  v/ho  chance  upon  it ;  and 
more  than  Anticosti,  more,  indeed,  than  any  other 
place,  deserves  the  dread  name  of —  "  the  grave- 
yard of  ships  and  sailors." 

In  turning  away,  there  was  now  but  one  thought 
in  the  minds  of  all  the  boys,  and  that  was,  of 
course,  Mahone  Bay.  In  any  case  they  would  sail 
straight  for  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia ;  and  Mahone 
Bay  was  the  only  place  at  which  they  were  will- 
ing to  land.  There  was  now  no  further  difficulty 
about  making  their  way,  for  the  governor,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  sails,  had  furnished  a  compass  also. 

"  The  Nova  Scotia  coast,"  said  Captain  Corbet, 
"  air  doo  north  by  west,  an  it  ain't  more'n  a  hundred 
mile.  The  wind's  fair,  an  we  ought  to  sight  it  be- 
fore—  well,  before  three  days.'- 

"  0,  we'll  do  it  long  before  that,"  iiaid  Bart,  "  if 
this  wind  lasts.  But  why  can't  ycu  head  due 
west  for  Mahone  Bay  ?  " 

"  Wal,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  *'  there  air  severial 
reasons  why :  fust  an  furmost,  because,  ef  1  sail 
west,  I'll  have  to  coast  along  this  here  shore,  Avhich 
is  the  very  thing  I  don't  want  to  do.  I  want  to 
get  as  far  away  as  I  kin,  an  as  quick  as  I  kin. 


CAPTAIN   CORBET'S  GRIEF. 


55 


Second,  I  don't  want  to  go  in  tho  dark  no  longer. 
I  want  to  sight  the  Nova  Scotia  coast,  and  then  to 
keep  it  in  sight  till  I  die.  Never  agin  do  I  want 
to  git  out  o'  sight  o'  Nova  Scotia.  Then,  third,  I 
don't  want  to  stop  at  no  more  places,  but  to  con- 
tennew  along  my  windin  way,  till  I  git  to  Minas. 
An,  fourthly,  I  don't  want  to  go  to  Mahone  Bay  at 
all." 

"  Not  go  to  Mahone  Bay  !  "  cried  Bruce.  "  Why 
not?  Why,  we  want  to  hunt  up  that  island  that 
the  buccaneers  buried  the  treasure  in.'* 

Captain  Corbet  looked  at  all  the  boys  with  an 
expression  of  solemn  regret,  mingled  with  mild  re- 
proach upon  his  venerable  face.  Then  shaking  his 
head  mournfully,  he  slowly  ejaculated, — 

"  0,  boys,  boys  ! " 

"  Well,  why  not  ?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  0,  boys !  0,  boys  ! "  continued  the  captain,  in 
a  dismal  tone.  "  An  has  it  come  to  this  ?  Air  this 
the  end  an  the  melankilly  result  of  the  bitter 
teachins  that  you've  ben  an  had  by  sea  an  land  ?  " 

"  Bitter  teachings  ?  "  said  Bart ;  '^  what  bitter 
teachings?" 

"  The  teachins,  an  the  warnins,  an  the  experi- 
ences," said  Captain  Corbet, ''  that's  ben  a  heaped 
upon  you's  all.  Why  this  thirst  for  perishable 
treasures?  Why  this  yearnin  for  money-holes? 
Hain't  you  had  enough  of  treasures,  and  dreams  of 
wealth  ?  Look  at  me,  boys.  Behold  this  wretched 
victuim  of  Avarice.    Think  how  the  demon  of 


!.'  i 


66 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


^m,. 


Avarice  got  possession  of  me  in  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence,  an  drawd  me  away  captive  to  his 
chariot  wheels.  Think  how  he  tempted  me  to  de- 
sert you,  an  leave  you  in  tremenjous  danger^  Bar 
all  this  in  mind,  I  humbly  beg,  and  then  desist. 
Say  no  more.  Temp  me  not.  Leave  the  aged 
Corbet  be.  Don't  inflame  this  beaten  heart.  Be 
wise  in  time.  You'll  only  suffer  for  ii  ef  you  don't. 
That  thar  treasure  is  onhallowed.  Didn't  we  try 
diggin  for  buried  treasu  res  once  afore  ?  Answer 
me  that.  We  did.  An  what  was  the  result  ?  I 
pause  for  a  reply." 

''  0,  but  this  is  different,"  said  Bart.  "  That 
money-hole  on  the  hill  was  all  nonsense ;  and,  be- 
sides, what  was  it  then  frightened  us,  except  a 
miserable  little  donkey  ?  This  is  a  different  mat- 
ter. There  ought  to  be  something  there,  out  of 
all  the  plunder  of  the  Spanish  Main. 

*^  Don't  talk  about  plunder,  and  the  Spanish 
Main,"  said  the  captain.  "  The  way  that  that 
governor  had  of  rollin  out  them  words  of  his  was 
Bomethin  that  made  a  man  feel  a  tinglin  all  over. 
It's  the  thirst  for  gold,  boys  ;  don't  kindle  it  up  to 
a  flame ;  don't  temp  me  agin  my  better  natur ; 
don't,  don't." 

"  0,  see  here  now,  captain,"  said  Bart ;  "  don't 
look  at  things  in  that  way.  When  you  left  us  on 
the  ship,  it  wasn't  Avarice ;  it  was  because  you 
hadn't  any  idea  that  we  were  in  danger." 

Captain  Corbet  shook  his  head.    "  No,"  said  he, 


u 


THE  ANTELOPE  AT  SEA   AGAIN. 


57 


"It  was  Avarice,  the  Demon  of  Gold  —  nothing 
else.  It  blinded  my  eye,  an  hardened  my  heart. 
It's  the  way  it  alius  does." 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  how  you  can  call  it  Avarice. 
You  only  wanted  money  for  your  baby  —  you 
know." 

At  the  mention  of  his  tender  offspring.  Captain 
Corbet's  face  changed ;  a  mild  and  mellow  light 
beamed  in  his  aged  eye,  and  a  tender  parental  fond- 
ness was  visible  in  the  expression  of  his  venerable 
face. 

"  Terew  ! "  said  he ;  "  terew  —  as  gospel  I " 

"  Well,  then,  you  must  feel  as  anxious  about  him 
now  as  you  were  then.  You  failed  that  time ; 
perhaps  this  time  you'll  sr':;ceed.  And  only  think 
how  jolly  it  would  be,  if  you  could  make  his  for- 
tune, and  give  him  a  college  education." 

At  this  crafty  allusion  to  Captaia  Corbet's  fondest 
hope,  the  aged  navigator  was  overcome.  His  eyes 
became  moistened  with  tears  ;  a  gentle  sigh  es- 
caped him  ;  he  said  no  more,  and  all  the  boys  saw 
that  his  silence  meant  consent. 

The  Antelope  was  heading  towards  the  nearest 
point  on  the  Nova  Scotia  shore.  That  shore  lay 
almost  north,  or  north  by  west,  and  it  was  abuut  a 
hundred  miles  distant.  The  wind  was  fair  ;  there 
was  no  prospect  whatever  of  a  change  for  the 
worse ;  and  so  the  Antelope  walked  the  waters,  as 
usual,  like  a  thing  of  life,  while  the  boys  amused 
tlioirselves  with  recalling  the  strange  story  of  the 


i;  i^ 


:U 


58 


THE   TREASURE   OP  THE  SEA2. 


governor  of  Sable  Island,  and  in  i^^pecvJating  about 
the  probable  appearance  of  that  island  of  the  buc- 
caneers, which,  according  to  him,  had  been  the  de- 
posit and  the  burial-place  of  the  plunder  of  the 
Spanish  Main. 

The  Antelope  did  her  best.  The  wind  was  not 
very  strong,  yet  it  bore  her  along  as  fast  as  she 
was  capable  of  going ;  no  very  great  rate  of  speed, 
to  be  sure,  yet  last  enough  to  assure  them,  by  sun- 
set, that  they  were  already  far  enough  away  from 
Sable  Island  to  be  out  of  the  reach  of  danger  ;  out 
of  the  grasp  of  its  far-reaching  arms,  and  in  a  path- 
way which  brought  them  every  moment  nearer  to 
a  friendly  shore. 


IN   SIGHT   OF   LAND. 


59 


V. 


Land  again,  —  A  Line  of  Coast.  —  How  to  navigate. 

—  Plans  for  finding  the  Island  of  Treasure.  — 
The  Bays.  —  The  j^opulous  Island.  —  The  old 
Man  and  his  Ox  Cart.  —  Ironhound.  —  Tancook. 

—  The  cautious  Questions  of  Bruce.  —  An  obtuse 
old  Man.  —  A  Confidence  from  Solomon.  —  A 
useless  Search.  —  A  Change  of  Policy.  —  How  to 
find  the  Island. 

^HE  wind  continued  fair,  and  during  the 
following  night  the  Antelope  kept  on  her 
course.  On  the  following  day,  by  noon,  they 
came  within  sight  of  land,  and  the  distant  coast- 
line running  along  the  horizon  showed  them  now 
what  course  they  should  t?'^e.  Captain  Corbet 
now  headed  her  a  few  points  ^arther  to  the  west. 

"  I'm  all  right  now,"  said  he.  "  Jest  you  let  me 
see  the  Nova  Scotia  coast,  and  I'll  foller  it.  Here 
we  go  now,  an  our  motter  air,  On'ard  an  up'ard." 

"  Downward,  rather  than  upward,  is  my  motto," 
said  Bart ;  "  for  I'm  bound  to  get  to  the  bottom  of 
the  treasure  of  the  buccaneers.  At  any  rate  we 
ought  to  find  out  the  truth  about  it ;  for  the  saying 


i 


I.'! 


f 


60 


THE   TREASURE   OP   THE   SEAS. 


is,  that  truth  lies  at  the  bottom  of  a  well,  and  a 
money-hole  isn't  very  far  diflerent." 

*'  Do  you  think  you  can  manage  to  find  Malione 
Bay,  captain?''  asked  Bruce,  with  a  very  natural 
doubt  about  Captain  Corbet's  capacity  to  find  his 
way  to  a  strange  place. 

*'  Wal,"  said  he,  "  'pears  to  me  easy  enough,  with 
this  hero  coast-line  to  guide  us.  You  see  all  we've 
got  to  do  is,  to  keep  on  along  this  here  coast  till  we 
come  to  Halifax  harbor.  Wal,  we  don't  go  in  thar, 
but  keep  straight  on.  Wal,  the  next  place  is  Mar- 
garet's Bay.  That's  easy  enough;  and  then  the 
next  place  is  Mahono  Bay.  So  you  see  it's  so 
plain  that  a  child  might  guide  his  tender  canoe  in 
safety  to  such  a  place  as  that." 

"  O,  I  dare  say  we'll  work  our  way  sooner  or 
later  to  Mahone  Bay,"  said  Phil ;  "  but  what  we  are 
to  do  after  we  get  there  is  a  thing  which,  1  confess, 
puzzles  mo  a  little." 

*^  O,  we'll  hunt  about  for  the  island,"  said  Bart. 

"Hunt  about?"  said  Phil.  "But  how  can  we 
find  it  ?     Shall  we  ask  people  ?  " 

"  0,  no,"  said  Bruce  ;  "that  would  never  do.  It 
wouldn't  do  at  all  to  let  a  single  soul  know  what 
we  are  after.  They'd  all  follow  us,  and  interfere 
with  us.     No;  we've  got  to  be  very  cautious." 

"  That's  a  fact,"  said  Tom ;  "  we  must  keep 
dark."    . 

"  0,  I  dare  say,"  said  Phil ;  "  but  how  can  we 
find  the  island?" 


ai 
i1 


HALIFAX   HARBOR. 


61 


I,  «inJ  a 

M ah one 
nutural 
liiid  his 

jh,  with 
11  wcVe 
b  till  we 
in  thar, 
is  Mar- 
ian the 
it's  so 
anoo  in 

ncr  or 
we  are 
onfess, 

Bart. 

an  we 

o.     It 

what 

erfere 
,  jy 

keep 
in  we 


! 


"  0,  we'll  hunt  it  up,"  said  Bart. 

'•'  But  how  can  we  tell  it  from  Adam,  or  from  any 
other  island  ?" 

"  Sure  an  that's  aisy  enough,"  said  Pat.  "  We're 
lookiu  for  an  island  that's  got  a  hole  inside  of  it; 
an  if  there's  a  hole,  sure  we'll  know  it  by  the  heap 
it  makes." 

"  At  any  rate,"  said  Arthur,  "  we  can  look  about, 
and  if  wo  can't  find  any  marks  to  guide  us,  why, 
then  we  can  make  inquiries  among  the  people." 

With  such  vague  plans  as  these,  then,  the  boys 
looked  forward  to  Mahone  Bay,  feeling  that  it  was 
necessary  to  keep  their  purpose  a  profound  secret, 
and  yet  not  knowing  how  to  find  the  island.  They 
were  unwilling  to  betray  their  errand  by  asking 
questions,  and  yet  without  asking  how  could  they 
hope  to  learn  anything?  This  was  a  difficulty 
which  they  all  felt,  and  in  the  presence  of  it  th^y 
could  only  conclude  to  be  guided  by  circumstances. 

A  few  days  passed  and  the  Antelope  reached 
the  entrance  to  Halifixx  harbor,  which  the  bold 
captain  recognized,  not  by  any  knowledge  of  his 
own,  for  he  had  never  been  here  before  ;  not  by  any 
chart  or  observation,  for  he  did  not  own  the  former, 
and  had  not  made  the  latter ;  but  simply  from  see- 
ing a  steamer  go  up  into  the  land  towards  a  place 
where  the  sk}'  was  black  with  the  smoke  of  bitu- 
minous coal.  When  he  saw  that,  he  said,  "  This  is 
Halifax;"  and,  saying  this,  he  felt  secure  of  his 
position,  and  kept  the  vessel  on  due  west. 


'  ! 


i     I' 


m 


m 


62 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


It  was  morning  when  they  passed  Hah'fax.  By 
noon  they  passed  a  broad  bay,  which  they  decided  to 
be  Margaret's  Bay.  By  evening  they  had  reached 
another  broad  bay.  At  its  mouth,  and  well  out  in 
the  ocean,  lay  an  ishind,  with  black  and  rocky 
Bides,  and  wooded  top.  On  sailing  inside  of  this, 
they  noticed  that  it  was  inhabited,  and  from  this 
point  of  view  showed  houses  and  farms.  A  few 
miles  farther  on  was  another  island,  which  was 
cultivated  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  appeared 
to  be  thickly  populated.  Farther  on  there  ap- 
peared other  islands,  and  wooded  shores,  and  cul- 
tivated fields,  and  high  hills. 

This,  they  felt  sure,  was  their  destination  —  Ma- 
hone  Bay.  The  Antelope  passed  inside  of  the 
second  island,  and  here  dropped  anchor. 

It  was  yet  more  than  an  hour  before  sundown, 
and  the  boys  went  ashore  upon  the  island  nearest 
to  make  inquiries,  not  about  the  plunder  of  the 
Spanish  Main,  but  merely  uf  a  general  nature.  The 
island  was  thickly  inhabited,  and  on  walking  a 
short  distance  from  the  beach  where  they  had  left 
their  boat,  they  found  a  road  which  seemed  well 
travelled,  and  appeared  to  run  from  one  end  of  the 
island  to  the  other.  In  a  little  while  an  old  man 
came  along  on  an  ox-cart,  who  bowed  with  a  good- 
natured  smile,  and  remarked  that  it  Avas  a  fine 
evening.     To  this  they  assented. 

"  What's  the  name  of  this  island  ?  "  asked  Bruce. 

Upon  being  thus  questioned,  the  old  man  stopped 


BRUCE  AND  THE   OLD   MAN. 


63 


K.     By 

ided  to 

Dached 

out  in 

rocky 

)f'  this, 
m  this 
A  few 
)h  was 
peared 
ro  ap- 
ad  cul- 

—  Ma- 

of  tho 

idown, 

iCcirest 

of  the 

The 

ing  a 
kd  left 
d  well 
of  the 
1  man 

good- 
a  fine 

Brnce. 
opped 


i 


his  oxen,  and,  looking  around  upon  the  young  faces 
before  him,  he  said, — 

"  What  ?  " 

"  What's  the  name  of  this  island?" 

"  Tancook,"  said  the  old  man. 

*'  Tancook?"  repeated  Bruce  ;  "and  what's  the 
name  of  that  other  one  ?  "  —  pointing  to  the  outer 
island,  which  they  had  first  encountered. 

"Thatthar?"  said  the  old  man,  looking  where 
Bruce  pointed,  —  "that  thar?  Why,  we  call  that 
thar  island  by  the  name  of  Ironbound." 

It  was  a  fine  name,  a  sonorous  and  at  the  same 
time  an  appropriate  name,  and  deeply  impressed 
the  boys. 

"  Fine  farming  cc  untry  this,"  said  Bruce,  once 
more  plunging  into  the  conversation. 

"  Wal,  pooty  so  so,"  said  the  old  man.  "  We 
ain't  got  no  reason  to  complain ;  though,  what  with 
diphthery,  an  sich,  it's  mighty  hard  on  children." 

"A  good  many  people  here,  apparently,"  con- 
tinued Bruce,  in  a  lively  key. 

"  Wal,  pooty  toPble,"  said  the  old  man ;  "  'bout 
a  hundred  families  on  this  here." 

"  Farmers  or  fishermen  ?  "  asked  Bruce. 

"  Wal,  a  leetle  of  the  one,  an  a  leetle  of  the 
tether." 

"  You've  got  a  church  here  too,"  continued 
Bruce. 

"  Yas  —  a  meetin-house." 

"  What  persuasion  is  that  meeting-house  ?  "  asked 


1. ' 


t 


64 


THE   TREASURE   OF   THE   SEAS. 


IIMliI  il 


Bruco,  in  an  anxious  tone  of  voice,  as  though  the 
fortunes  of  the  whoJe  party  depended  on  the 
answer.    • 

"  Wal,  mostly  Baptist,"  said  the  old  man,  "though 
not  all.  Were  kine  o'  cut  off,  an  live  mostly  to  our- 
selves. But  Tancook  ain't  sich  a  bad  place,  arter 
all,  and  we  manage  to  grub  along." 

"  It's  a  fine  bay  around  here,"  said  Bruce,  with 
a  grand,  patronizing  sweep  of  his  right  arm,  which 
seemed  meant  to  include  all  creation. 

"  Yas,''  said  the  old  man ;  "  there  ain't  nothin  like 
it  nowhar.  We've  got  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  islands,  of  all  shapes  an  sizes,  in  this  here  bay 
—  one  for  every  day  in  the  year.  T  lis  here's  the 
biggest,  an  the  smallest  isn't  more  than  a  yard 
long.     Yas,  it's  a  fine  bay,  an  a  great  hivrbor." 

"Three  hundred  and  sixtv-five  islands!"  ex- 
claimed  Bruce,  in  a  tone  of  surprise.  "  Is  it  pos- 
sible ?  And  one  for  every  day  in  the  year  I  How 
extraordinary !  But  is  there  really  that  exact 
number,  or  is  it  only  fancy?" 

"  Really  an  truly,"  said  the  old  man,  with  whom 
this  was  evidently  the  deepest  conviction  of  his 
mind.  "  0,  yas,  thar's  no  mistake  or  doubt  about 
it.  They've  all  been  counted,  over  an  over ;  yas, 
over  an  over  —  over  an  over." 

"  It's  very  strange,"  f^aid  Bruce.  "  It's  most 
extraordinary^ ;  and  now  I  dare  say,"  he  continued, 
in  an  insinuating  way,  "I  dare  say  that,  among  so 
many  islands,  some  of  them  are  well  worth  a  visit. 


v' 


THE   OLD   MAN'S   INCOMMUNICATIVENESS. 


m 


Ligh  the 
on   the 

Hhough 
y  to  our- 
26,  arter 

ce,  with 
Q,  which 

;hin  like 
d  sixty- 
lere  bay 
>re's  the 
a  yard 
•bor." 
3 1 "  ex- 
it pos- 
How 
exact 


1  whom 
of  his 
)  about 
rj  yas, 

s  most 
tinued, 
long  so 
a  visit. 


This  island  of  yours  is  a  perfect  wonder  —  so 
fertile,  so  beautiful !  Are  there  any  others  that 
are  like  this  ?  " 

"  Wal,  not  to  say  jest  like  this  ;  but  they  Ve  fine 
islands,  many  of  tliem,  an  curous,  too.  Thar's  some 
that's  only  islands  at  high  tide,  bein  connected 
with  the  main  land  by  narrer  beaches  an  shoals  at 
low  tide :  an  then,,  agin,  thar's  others  that's  only 
islands  at  low  tide,  bein  completely  kivered  up  by 
the  water  at  high  tide ;  and  so  it  goes  ;  an  some's 
cleared  an  inhabited,  like  this  ;  an  some's  wild,  an 
kivered  with  woods ;  an  some  has  only  one  family 
on  it;  an  some's  cultivated,  but  has  no  one  livin 
on  them ;  an  so  we've  got  all  sorts,  you  see,  an 
they're  all  well  wuth  visitin.  Thar's  Dead  Man's 
Island,  an  Quaker  Island,  an  Oak  Island,  an  Maple 
Island,  an  Ironbound  ; "  and  the  old  man  went  on 
to  enumerate  dozens  of  names  in  addition  to  these, 
out  of  which  no  individual  one  made  any  impres- 
sion on  the  minds  of  !iis  hearers. 

Thus  far  Bruce  had  been  questioning  the  old 
man  chiefly  with  the  hope  that  he  might  drop  some 
remark  which  might  bo  of  i^^e  to  them  in  their 
search  after  the  treasure  i^-land.  But  no  such  re- 
mark was  forthcoming,  and  the  string  of  names 
which  was  enumerated  conve3'ed  no  information 
whatever.  So  Bruce  made  one  more  effort,  and 
ventured  to  come  a  little  more  to  the  point. 

"This  bay,''  said  he,  'Mias  been  a  great  place 
for  buccaneers  —  so  Pve  heard.  Do  you  know 
6 


ii'l 


i' 


i 


66 


THE   TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


tm 


anything  about  them  ?  Can  you  tell  me  of  any 
island  in  particular  that  people  talk  of  as  being 
visited  by  them?  There's  one,  I  think,  that  the 
buccaneers  used  to  visit.  Perhaps  you've  heard 
about  them,  and  can  tell  us  the  name  of  the  island, 
and  where  it  is." 

Now,  this  was  pretty  direct ;  indeed,  all  the  other 
boys  thought  that  it  was  altogether  too  direct, 
especially  since  they  had  all  concluded  that  it  was 
best  not  to  ask  any  questions,  except  those  of  a 
general  character.  Bart  and  Tom  both  nudged 
Bruce  very  violently,  to  rebuke  his  rashness  ;  but 
their  nudges  had  no  efiect. 

The  old  man  stared,  then  frowned,  then  looked 
blank,  and  then  frowned  again.  Then  he  looked  at 
Bruce,  and  said,  in  an  uncertain,  hesitating  way, — 

"  Bucker  nears  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Bruce.  *'*  Buccaneers.  They  used 
to  come  here,  you  know.     Lots  of  them." 

The  old  man  wagged  his  old  head  up  and  down 
several  times. 

*'  O,  yas  ;  J  dar  say.  Buccar  nears — an  lots  of 
other  fish,  tiiat's  left  us.  They  used  to  come  here 
in  shoals  —  likewise  mackerel;  but  them  days  is 
over.  Sometimes  shad  an  her'n  comes  here  now; 
but  things  ain't  as  they  used  to  be,  an  it's  gittin 
harder  an  harder  everv  vear  for  us  fishermen.  It's 
as  much  as  a  man  can  do,  with  farmin  and  fishin 
tojEcether,  to  find  bread  an  butter  for  himself  an  his 
children.     As  to  thei.i  —  hvnk  —  bu  k  —  buck  — 


A   DISCUSSION. 


67 


of  any 
i  being 
hat  the 
3  heard 
(  island, 


le  other 

direct, 

t  it  was 

tse  of  a 
nudged 
iss;  but 

[  looked 

joked  at 

way,  — 

ey  used 

d  down     I 

lots  of 

me  here 

days  is 

e  now ; 
8  gittiu 
n.  It's 
d  fishin 
If  an  his 
buck  — 


fish,  I  don't  know.  I  don't  mind  ever  liearin  of 
them,  leastways  not  under  that  tliar  name.  P'raps 
they're  a  kine'  o'  mackerel ;  an  I  only  wish  they'd 
come  now,  as  they  used  to  when  I  was  young*." 

At  this  extraordinary  misapprehension  of  his 
meaning,  Bruce  stared,  and  seemed,  for  a  moment, 
about  to  e..|  lain  himself;  but  the  other  boys 
checked  him,  and  the  old  man  himself  seemed  to 
become  suddenly  lost  in  his  remembrances  of  those 
days  of  youth,  which  might  never  bo  equalled  now. 

"  Won't  you  jump  in,  an  take  a  ride?"  said  he, 
at  length.  "  Air  you  goin  my  way?  Ef  so,  you 
may  as  well  git  a  lift  as  not." 

The  boys  thanked  him,  and  excused  themselves. 
They  were  not  going  his  way,  but  in  another  direc- 
tion. A  few  more  words  passed,  and  at  length  the 
old  man  bade  them  good  by,  whistled  up  his  oxen, 
and  moved  forward  As  for  the  boys,  they  did  not 
feel  inclined  to  pui  ao  their  investigations  any 
further  just  then. 

*'  The  next  time  wo  ask,"  said  Tom,  *•  we'll  have 
to  talk  about  Captain  KidJ,  plump  and  plain,  and 
then  perhaps  they'll  understand." 

"  Well,"  said  Bart,  "  I  don't  seo  what  use  there 
is  in  proclaiming  to  the  w..  .^  world  our  business. 
We'd  better  cruise  about  for  a  while,  and  examine 
for  ourselves." 

"0,  well,"  said  Bruce,  "there's  nothing  like 
droppinjc:  a  quiet  hint,  interrogatively.  It  may 
bear  fruit  in  the  shapo  of  useful  infer. ..Ation." 


fll! 


H 


'  '  1 


68 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


"  Like  the  old  man's  information  about  the  buc- 
caneer mackerel,"  said  Tom,  with  a  laugh. 

Bruce  deigned  no  reply.  They  waited  here  a 
little  longer,  and,  after  strolling  about  some  dis- 
tance farther,  they  went  back  to  the  boat,  and 
returned  to  the  Antelope. 

That  evening  Solomon  addressed  himself  to  Bart, 
SBo.  ''/  :ind  in  confidence,  as  the  latter  happened 
to  be  sitting  on  the  windlass,  trying  to  concoct 
some  plan  by  which  they  might  find  the  mysterious 
island  that  contained  the  buried  treasure  of  the 
buccaneers,  —  the  wonderful,  the  stupendous,  the 
incalculable  plunder  of  the  Spanish  Main.  To  him, 
thus   meditati  ^,   cogitating,   and    reflecting,   the 


aged  Solomon  thus  addressed  himself:  — 

"What's  all  dis  yar  new  'posal,  Mas'r  Bart, 
'bout  buried  treasures,  an  tings?  'Pears  to  me 
youn  all  goin  mad,  an  rushin  head  fo'most  into  de 
jaws  ob  'structium.  Better  look  out,  I  say.  Dars 
no  knowin  whar  dis  yar's  goin  to  end.  Dem  dar 
pirites'  ghosts  keep  alius  a  flyin  an  a  flittin  rouii 
de  place  wliar  dey  bury  de  treasure,  and  it  '11  take 
more'n  you  boys  to  tar  dat  ar  plunder  out  of  deir 
keepin.  Dis  yar  scursion  'bout  dis  yar  bay  ain't 
goin  to  end  in  no  good.  Dar  ain't  a  succumstance 
dat  kin  favor  you  ;  eberyting's  clean  agin  you  ;  an 
if  you  fine'  do  hole  whar  de  treasure's  buried,  it  '11 
only  bring  roonatium  an  'structium." 

*'  Solomon,"  said  Bart,  "  my  aged,  venerable,  and 
revered  friend,  I  am  deeply  pained  at  this  exhibi- 


SOLOMON^S   ADMONITION. 


69 


he  buc- 

here  a 
me  dis- 
mal; and 

to  Bart, 
ippened 
concoct 
sterious 
:>  of  the 
ous,  the 
To  him, 
ngj   the 

'r  Bart, 
to  me 
into  de 
Dais 
em  dar 
in  roun 
'11  take 
of  deir 
ay  ain't 
mstauce 
)^ou ;  an 
led,  it  '11 

ble,  and 
exhibi- 


tion of  superstition  in  one  who  ought  to  have  a 
soul  above  ghosts.  A  man  like  you,  Solomon,  who 
has  real  evils  to  suffer,  who  is  afflicted  by  such 
real  calamities  as  rheumatism,  and  what  you  call 
"  broomatism/'  ought  to  have  a  soul  above  ghosts. 
Isn't  it  enough  for  you  to  live  in  perpetual  terror 
about  the  reappearance  of  that  Gorgon  who  calls 
you  husband,  and  beats  you  over  the  head  with  a 
poker,  that  you  must  take  the  trouble  to  get  up  a 
new  set  of  afflictions,  and  trot  out  your  super- 
stitious fancies." 

*'  Mas'r  Bart,"  said  Solomon,  earnestly,  "  look 
heah ;  dis  yar  ain't  no  common  'currence.  Dar's 
death  an  roonatium  afore  us  all.  You're  goin  to 
'sturb  de  'pose  ob  de  dead  —  an  de  worst  sort  ob 
dead.  Dem's  de  sort  dat  won't  stand  no  nonsense. 
I've  had  'nough  ob  money-holes,  an  diggin  in  em, 
for  my  time.  De  ghost  ob  a  dead  pirate  ain't  to 
be  laughed  at.  Dey'U  hab  vengeance  —  sure's 
you're  born.  Dar's  no  sort  ob  use  in  temptin  fate. 
Sure's  you  go  down  into  dat  ar  money-hole,  so  sure 
you  hab  down  on  your  shoulders  de  ghosts  ob  all  de 
pirates  dat  eber  was  hung,  an  dem  dat  was  unhung, 
too.  So,  Mas'r  Bart,  don't  you  go  foolin  round  here 
dis  yar  way.  I'se  a  ole  man,  Mas'r  Bart,  an  I'se  seen 
much  ob  de  world,  an  I  'vise  you  to  clar  out,  an  not 
temp  de  ghosts  ob  de  pirates  in  dis  yar  fashium." 

Solomon's  warning  was  sincere,  and  was  spoken 
with  the  utmost  earnestness ;  but  Bart  v;as  quite 
inaccessible  to  sincerity  and  earnestness.  He 
laughed  at  Solomon's  fears,  reminded  him  of  his 


iii 


WW,;fi 


V'.   '/■■ 


ill 


70 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE   SEAS. 


foolish  behavior  on  former  occasions,  brought  to 
his  memory  the  time  when  lie  had  fled  from  the 
braying  of  an  ass,  and  the  other  occasion  when  he 
had  fled  from  the  hoot  of  an  owl.  But,  tliough 
Solomon  could  not  help  owning  that  he  had  acted 
on  those  occasions  with  shameful  cowardice  and 
folly,  yet  the  consciousness  of  this  could  not  lessen 
in  the  slightest  degree  the  superstitious  terrors 
that  now  filled  his  breast ;  and  so,  as  Bart  found  him 
incorrigible,  he  had  to  give  up  the  effort  to  calm 
his  mind. 

That  night  all  on  board  slept  more  soundly  than 
they  had  for  w-eeks.  The  Antelope  was  anchored 
in  smooth  water,  in  a  secure  and  sheltered  harbor, 
near  a  friendly  land,  and  no  care  whatever  was  in 
the  minds  of  the  boys,  or  of  the  captain.  Such 
perfect  freedom  from  anxiety  had  not  been  their 
lot  for  a  long  time ;  and  in  proportion  to  this  peace 
of  mind  was  the  profoundness  of  their  sleep. 

On  the  following  day  they  cruised  all  about  the 
bay,  keeping  ever  on  the  lookout  for  the  Island  of 
the  Buccaneers.  But  they  soon  found  that  the 
search  was  hopeless  under  the  conditions  which 
they  had  imposed  upon  themselves.  To  seek  for 
■what  is  unknown,  and  not  ask  for  directions,  is 
surely  one  of  the  most  impracticable  of  tasks.  The 
experience  which  they  had  thus  far  had  was  enough, 
and  they  found  themselves  compelled  either  to 
give  up  the  search  altogether,  or  else  to  break 
through  the  secrecy  which  they  had  imposed  upon 
themselves. 


THE   CRUISB  AROUND   THE  BAY. 


71 


iglit  to 
om  the 
/hen  he 
though 
d  acted 
ice  and 
t  lessen 
terrors 
Lind  him 
to  cahn 

ily  than 
nchored 
harbor, 
'  was  in 
.  Such 
jn  their 
s  peace 
). 

lOut  the 
land  of 
hat  the 
which 
eek  for 
ions,  is 
5.  The 
nough, 
;her  to 
break 
d  upon 


YI. 


The  Cruise  around  the  Bay.  —  A  quaint  anjl  curi- 
ous Town.  —  Slee/jT/  Holloiv.  —  A  homelike  Inn, 
—  A  genial  and  communicative  Landlord,  —  A 
delicate  Manipulation.  —  Aspotogon  and  Deep 
Cove.  —  Bart  enters  into  an  Argument.  —  Tlie 
Landlord  plunges  into  the  Subject  of  Captain 
Kidd.  —  A  loonderful  Bevelation.  —  The  Treas- 
ure of  the  Seas  at  last.  —  The  Island  of  golden 
Store. 

►HE  cruise  around  Mahone  Bay  had  thus 
proved  useless,  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected. The  search  after  one  island  out 
of  hundreds,  where  the  appearance,  and  even  the 
name,  of  that  island  were  unknown  to  them,  was 
certainly  an  extraordinary  piece  of  folly.  Had 
they  allowed  themselves  to  make  direct  inquiries, 
they  could  have  found  the  island  without  any 
trouble.  But  this  was  the  very  thing  which  they 
were  unwilling  to  do ;  partly,  as  has  been  said, 
from  the  fear  of  drawing  attention  to  their  pro- 
ceedings, and  of  being  interrupted  or  interfered 
with  in  some  way ;  but  partly,  no  doubt,  because 


M 


n 


72 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


9 

they  found  a  much  greater  charm  m  movements 
which  were  thus  surrounded  by  mystery.  It  waa 
appropriate  for  tlio  members  of  the  great  secret 
society  of  the  B.  0.  W.  C.  to  enter  upon  this  new 
undertaking  in  secrecy. 

But  now  this  had  to  be  given  up,  and  they  con- 
cluded to  go  ashore  at  the  chief  settlement  of  the 
bay,  and  make  inquiries.  In  these  inquiries  they 
resolved  still  to  maintain  their  secret  as  far  as 
possible,  and  pot  to  divulge  it  unless  it  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  ;  they  determined  to  hint,  rather 
than  ask,  and  obtain  information  indirectly,  rather 
than  directly. 

The  chief  settlement  of  Mahone  Bay  is  the  town 
of  Chester,  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  in 
America.  It  is  not  a  settlement.  It  is  a  town. 
It  is  situated  on  a  peninsula,  with  a  harbor  on  its 
front  and  on  ^.ts  rear.  This  peninsula  is  all  laid  out 
in  streets,  which  cross  one  another  at  right  angles, 
with  perfect  regularity.  At  the  point  where  the 
peninsula  terminates,  is  a  spacious  place,  intended 
to  serve  as  a  promenade  ;  and  here  there  is  a  nar- 
row shoal  running  off  to  another  piece  of  land, 
which  is  a  peninsula  or  an  island  by  turns,  as  the 
shoal  is  covered  or  uncovered  by  the  water. 

There  is  a  wonderful  quaintness  and  quiet  in 
Chester.  It  is  the  Nova  Scotian  representative 
of  Sleepy  Hollow.  The  streets,  which  are  so  nice- 
ly laid  out,  are  all  covered  witli  turf,  and  are  as 
green  as  the  town  lots  on  either  side.     The  houses 


A  QUAINT   AND   CURIOUS   TOWN. 


73 


omenta 
It  was 
secret 
is  new 

jy  con- 
of  the 
3  they 
far  as 
}  abso 
rather 
rather 

B  town 

ties   in 

I  town. 

on  its 

id  out 

ingles, 

re  the 

ended 

a  nar- 

land, 

as  the 

iet  in 
tative 
D  nice- 
re  as 
ouses 


are  all  old  ;  the  people  are  all  quiet  and  leisurely, 
taking  the  world  in  the  easiest  manner  })0S8ible. 
The  very  dogs,  affected  by  the  peace  and  calm 
around,  seem  unwilling  to  bark,  except  under  the 
strongest  possible  provocation. 

The  scenery  around  this  quaint  little  town  may 
safely  be  classed  among  the  most  beautiful  in 
the  world.  The  wide  bay,  with  its  hundreds  of 
islands,  forms  an  almost  unequalled  place  for  yacht- 
ing. Many  of  the  islands  have  curious  names, 
associated  with  some  curious  legend.  The  waters 
abound  with  myriads  of  shell  fish,  and  sometimes 
have  a  marvellous  transparency.  The  winding 
shore  of  the  bav  forms  one  of  the  loveliest  of 
drives,  and  affords  perpetual  variety  of  scenery  ; 
and  the  climate  in  summer  time  is  so  genial,  that 
it  forms  the  perfection  of  a  watering-place  for 
those  who  have  to  fly  from  the  heat  of  southern 
latitudes.  And  this  will  one  day  be  the  destiny  of 
Chester,  when  the  world  knows  it ;  when  the  rush 
of  parched  travellers  takes  place ;  when  great  ho- 
tels face  its  promenade,  and  the  streets,  once  laid 
out  with  so  bold  a  design,  are  lined  with  houses 
and  shops.  Such  changes  will  one  day  take  place  ; 
but  whether  Chester  wili  be  then  so  altogether 
lovely  as  it  is  now  in  its  Sleepy  Hollow  epoch,  is  a 
matter  about  which  there  may  well  be  doubt. 

Such  was  the  place,  then,  in  which  the  boys 
found  themselves ;  and  they  all  agreed  with  one 
opinion,  that  Chester  was,  in  every  respect,  worthy 


f 


\ 


¥f 


■ 


'ii ,"! 


nm 


74 


THE   TREASURE   0.     TUE  SEAS. 


of  stand inj[^  here  in  this  lovely  bay,  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  mysterious  Island  of  the 
Buccaneers,  where  lay  stored  up  tlie  treasure  of 
the  sea  and  the  plunder  of  the  Spanish  Main. 

On  looking  about  the  place,  they  came  to  an  inn, 
which  had  such  an  air  of  comfort  and  tranquillity, 
and  such  a  home-liko  appearance,  that  they  deter- 
mined to  put  up  at  it,  and  prosecute  their  investi- 
gations in  a  leisurely  fashion.  Tliey  arrived  in 
time  for  dinner ;  and,  i  "  there  had  been  any  doubt 
in  their  minds  as  to  the  propriety  of  deserting  the 
Antelope,  it  was  disp(  ed  at  the  appearance  of 
the  dinner  which  was  served  up.  For  there  were 
salmon  and  green  peas,  —  delicacies  of  which,  like 
all  good  boys,  they  were  particularly  fond,  iind  to 
which  they  had  been  strangers  for  a  long  time. 
There,  too,  were  strawberries,  the  last  of  the  sea- 
son, with  cream  of  the  richest  kind  ;  and  together 
with  these  were  the  mealiest  of  potatoes,  the 
whitest  of  bread,  the  freshest  of  butter,  and  the 
most  immaculate  coffee.  To  all  these  things  their 
late  sea  fare  afforded  a  striking  contrast,  and  So]- 
omon's  star  declined  sadly. 

The  landlord  they  found  most  good-natured,  and 
most  genial,  like  all  the  inhabitants  of  this  favored 
spot.  He  was  communicative  about  himself,  proud 
of  his  town,  proud  of  the  scenery  around,  agd  yet 
not  at  all  inquisitive  as  to  the  purposes  of  his 
guests.  This  seemed  to  them  to  be  the  very  man 
whom  they  might  interrogate  without   endanger- 


A  GENIAL  AND  COMMUNICATIVE  LANDLORD.   75 


0  imme- 
of  the 
isure  of 
in. 

)an  inn, 
quillity, 
y  deter- 
investi- 
ived  in 
y  doubt 
^ing  the 
mcc  of 
re  were 
ch,  like 
,  and  to 
g  time, 
the  sea- 
3gether 
es,  the 
md  the 
^s  their 
Liid  So}- 

ed,  and 
favored 
',  proud 
igd  yet 
of  his 
T  man 
langer- 


ing  tlioir  secret;  for,  while  his  comrannicativeness 
would  lead  him  to  tell  everything  that  there  was 
to  be  told,  his  lacL  of  curiosity  would  prevent  him 
from  asking  any  unpleasant  questions. 

Accordingly,  as  soon  as  they  could  get  a  conven- 
ient chance,  they  button-holed  the  landlord,  and 
began  a  series  of  questions  of  a  very  non-commit- 
tal character,  referring  chiefly  to  the  scenery  of 
Mahone  Bay,  and  the  places  most  worthy  of  a 
visit.  They  did  not  make  the  remotest  reference 
to  the  buccaneers  or  to  Captain  Kidd,  but  seemed 
to  have  their  thoughts  occupied  with  scenery  only. 

The  landlord  grew  eloquent  upon  the  theme 
of  the  scenery  of  ^Mahone  Bay.  He  told  them  about 
the  islands,  and  mentioned  the  number  very  par- 
ticularly, insisting  upon  it  that  their  number  was 
exactly  three  hundred  and  sixty-five.  He  spoke 
of  the  drive  along  the  shore,  of  a  place  called 
Gold  "^iv  ^  where  there  was  excellent  fishing,  and 
finally  mentioned  a  place  which  he  called  Aspot- 
ogon.  Upon  this  theme  he  grew  more  enthusiastic 
than  ever.  Aspotogon,  he  said,  was  the  highest 
mountain  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  Nova  bcotia, 
and  the  approach  to  it  afforded  a  view  of  the  most 
remarkable  scenery  in  the  whole  bay.  This  ap- 
proach lay  through  a  narrow  inlet  which  ran  to 
the  base  of  the  mountain,  and  was  called  Deep 
Cove.  It  was  bordered  by  precipices,  for  a  long 
way,  on  either  side,  and  was  a  wild  and  romantic 
spot.     It   terminated  in   a  circular  basin,  on  one 


..<j 

i 


I  -M 


76 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


side  of  which  was  a  deep  declivity,  by  which  they 
could  find  the  shortest  ascent  to  the  summit  of 
Aspotogon  ;  and,  in  addition  to  this,  they  could  find 
fishing  and  bathing  to  their  hearts'  content. 

In  all  this,  however,  there  was  no  mention  made 
of  any  island  like  the  one  which  they  wished  to 
find.  He  mentioned,  indeed,  the  names  of  several 
islands,  in  a  casual  sort  of  way,  but  made  no  allu- 
sion to  any  legends  of  the  buccaneers.  The  only 
reference  which  he  made  to  treasure,  was  on  the 
name  of  that  fishing  stream  which  he  had  de- 
scribed to  them.  This  was  Gold  River ;  and  the 
name  excited  their  attention.  Bart  asked  what 
the  name  had  reference  to  ;  and  the  landlord  re- 
plied, that  it  arose  from  the  color  of  its  water. 
This  commonplace  derivation  of  such  a  name  dis- 
gusted and  disappointed  them  all,  for  they  hoped 
to  hear  of  a  diiferent  origin,  and  one  more  in  ac' 
cordance  with  their  present  purpose. 

The  landlord  dwelt  to  a  great  extent  on  Aspot- 
ogon and  Deep  Cove,  and  finally  offered  to  go 
there  with  them,  if  they  felt  inclined  to  make  a 
visit  to  the  place.  Though  the  boys  were  still  as 
eager  as  ever  about  the  Island  of  the  Buccaneers, 
yet  they  were  by  no  means  indifferent  to  the 
charms  of  a  romantic  place  like  this,  nor  at  all  dis- 
inclined to  roam  about  the  bay  farther.  The  offer 
of  the  landlord  was  also  an  additional  inducement, 
and  they  thought  that  in  the  intimacy  of  ship- 
board they  might  manage  to  get  something  more 


tl 


BART   ENTERS  INTO   AN   ARCUMENT. 


77 


direct  out  of  liim,  and  learn  from  ])im  all  that  there 
Avas  to  bo  learnt  about  any  exist inj^  legends  cur- 
rent among  the  people,  such  as  the  governor  of 
Sable  Island  had  mentioned.  It  was  arranged, 
therefore,  that  they  should  go  on  tlio  following  day. 

After  dinner  the  boys  started  off  in  different 
directions.  Bruce  in  a  boat,  Arthur  along  the  shore, 
Tom  and  Phil  over  the  hills,  while  Bart  and  Pat 
sauntered  about  the  wharves,  catching  star-fish, 
sea-urchins,  and  jelly-fish,  of  which  there  were 
myriads.  Towards  evening  they  returned  to  the 
inn,  and  found  the  landlord  seated  on  the  steps. 
They  seated  themselves  too,  and  gradually  fell  into 
a  conversation. 

"This  bay  must  have  been  a  great  place  in  old 
times,"  said  Bart,  trying  to  feel  his  way  as  easily 
as  possible  towards  the  subject  of  the  buccaneers. 

The  landlord  shook  his  head  with  solemn  em- 
phasis. 

"  Tre  —  mendous  !  "  he  slowly  ejaculated. 

"  Such  a  capital  place  for  hiding  from  any  ship 
that  might  be  chasing ! "  said  Bart ;  "  so  many 
islands  !  Why,  if  a  ship  once  got  in  here,  she  could 
never  be  found." 

"  Best  dodging-place  in  the  world,"  said  the 
landlord.  "  Lots  of  islands,  lots  of  harbors,  and 
deep  water  too,  everywhere." 

"  The  old  French  days  must  have  been  pretty 
exciting  hereabouts,"  continued  Bart,  making  a 
fresh  advance.    "  Tho  En^rlish  and  French  used 


4 , 


i 


; 


[ 


78 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


to  have  it  liot  and  heavy  ;  and  I  dare  say  this  bay 
bad  its  share  of  the  fun." 

"  Of  course,  of  course,"  said  the  landlord  ;  "  and 
before  that  too,  long  before;  and  worse  goings  on 
than  fair,  stand-up  fights.  There's  been  queer 
doings  in  these  waters." 

To  these  words  the  landlord  gave  emphasis  by 
a  significant  shake  of  his  liead,  which  spoke  un- 
utterable things,  and  drove  Bart  and  Pat  wild 
with  curiosity. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Bart. 

The  landlord  looked  at  him  solemnly  for  a  few 
moments,  and  then  asked, — 

*'  Did  you  ever  happen  to  hear  of  Captain  Kidd  ?  " 

"Captain  Kidd?"  repeated  Bart,  in  innocent 
wonder,  "  Captain  Kidd?  Hear  of  him?  Of  course 
I've  heard  of  him.     Everybody  knows  about  him." 

'^  Well,  if  that  man's  ghost  don't  haunt  this  bay, 
then  I'm  a  nigger." 

"Hauiiithis  bay?  What  do  you  mean?  What 
had  Captain  Kidd  to  do  with  this  bay  ?  He  was 
hanged  at  London." 

''He  had  a  precious  lot  to  do  with  this  bay," 
said  the  landlord,  positively." 

"  Why,  I  don't  see  how  that  could  be,"  said  Bart, 
trying  to  get  the  landlord  excited  b}^  contradic- 
tion. "  I  don't  see  how  he  ever  could  have  been 
here.  His  story's  a  simple  enough  one  :  soon  told 
I've  heard  it  often.  Flow  he  went  from  New  York 
to  London  well  recommended,  and  got  a  commis- 


A    WONDERFUL    REVELATIOX. 


70 


tbis  bay 

d ;  "  and 
oings  on 
11    queer 

iliasis  by 
poke  \in- 
Pat  wild 


or  a  few 

Kidd?'- 
innocent 
►f  course 
ut  him." 
his  bay, 

Wliat 
He  was 

s  bay," 

id  Bart, 
ntradic- 
ve  been 
on  told, 
w  Yoi'k 
■com  mi  s- 


sion  from  the  British  government  to  command  a 
ship,  for  the  purpose  of  putting  down  pirates  in 
India  and  tlie  East.  But  this  didn't  suit  him 
quite  ;  so  he  tur:v3d  pirate  himself.  Most  of  his 
piracies  took  place  in  the  East,  though.  It's  true 
he  returned  to  America,  and  made  a  great  panic  ; 
hut  lie  was  captured  and  sent  to  England,  where 
ho  was  tried  and  executed.  That  was  in  1699.  I 
remember  the  date  very  well.  So  I  don't  see  how 
he  could  have  done  much  about  here." 

Bart  spoke  very  volubly,  and  seemed  to  have 
the  Life  of  Captain  Kidd  at  his  tongue's  end.  The 
landlord  listened  very  attentively.  But  Bart's 
words,  instead  of  shaking  his  own  convictions, 
only  served,  as  Bart  had  hoped  and  intended,  to 
strengthen  and  confirm  them.  As  Bart  spoke,  he 
raised  himself  up  out  of  tlie  lounging  attitude  in 
which  he  had  been  sitting,  looked  full  in  Bart's 
flice,  and  as  he  ceased,  — 

"Very  well.  Grant  all  tliat,"  said  the  landlord, 
with  a  comprehensive  sweep  of  his  hand,  which 
seemed  to  concede  every  sinj^lo  statement  that 
Bart  had  made,  in  the  fullest  and  frankest  manner. 
"Grant  —  all  —  that  —  cverv  word  of  it.  I  don't 
doubt  it  at  all — not  me.  Very  well.  Now  mark 
nie.  Captain  Kidd  did  really,  and  truly,  and  actu- 
ally, flourish  about  here,  in  this  here  bay  —  for  he's 
left  behind  him  the  most  —  un  —  mis  —  tak  —  able 
in  —  di  —  ca  —  tions.  I've  seer  cm  myself,  with 
my  own  eyes.     I've  handled  'em  myself,  and  with 


.V  i 


f 


i 


Iff 


80 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


I 


my  own  hands.  And  besides,  that  there  pirate 
must  have  been  about  over  the  coast  of  America 
a  good  deal  more  than  you  give  him  credit  for,  or 
he  wouldn't  have  left  a  name  behind,  from  one  end 
of  America  to  the  other ;  and,  at  any  rate,  he  must 
have  been  here,  or  else  he  wouldn't  have  left  be- 
hind what  he  has  left,  and  what  I've  seen  with  my 
own  eyes.'' 

''  I  didn't  know,"  said  Bart,  "  that  he  had  left 
any  traces  of  himself  here.  What  are  they? 
What  kind  of  traces  ?  " 

"  What  kind  of  traces  ? "  said  the  landlord. 
"  Traces  that  beat  everything  in  the  way  of  traces 
that  any  pirate  ever  made.  What  do  you  say,  for 
instance,  to  a  pit  so  deep  that  nobody's  ever  been 
able  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  it?  " 

"  A  pit?  What  sort  of  a  pit  ?  "  asked  Bart,  full 
of  excitement. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  his  filling  that  pit  with 
oaken  chests,  crammed  full  of  gold  and  silver  in- 
gots, and  gold  candlesticks,  plundered  from  Cath- 
olic churches,  and  precious  stones,  such  as  dia- 
monds, rubies,  and  emeralds — beyond  all  count- 


in<2: 


?" 


*'  Gold  I  silver !  precious  stones  !  ''  repeated  Bart, 
who  was  so  overcome  by  this  astounding  informa- 
tion, that  he  could  only  utter  these  words. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  his  taking  the  prisoners 
that  had  dug  his  hole,  and  filled  it,  and  killing 
them  all,  to  keep  his  secret  V '' 


THE  ISLAND   OP  GOLDEN   STORE. 


81 


>  pirate 
America 
t  for,  or 
one  end 
lie  must 
left  bo- 
with  my 

had  left 
3   tliey?    J 

landlord, 
of  traces 
I  say,  for 
ver  been 

I  art,  full 

pit  with 
lilver  in- 
)m  Cath- 
as  d la- 
in count- 

^edBart.   ' 
informa- 

)risoner8 


killin 


(>• 


"  Killing  his  prisoners  !  '^ 

"  What  do  you  say,"  continued  the  landlord,  en- 
joying with  keenest  relish  the  evident  excitement 
of  Bart,  —  "  what  do  you  say  to  his  contriving  the 
most  extraordinary  plans  ever  heard  of  to  pre- 
vent anybody  ever  getting  at  that  treasure,  —  by 
making  the  hole,  in  the  first  place,  far  down  under 
the  level  of  the  sea,  —  by  building  a  drain,  so  as 
to  let  in  the  sea  water ;  and  then,  after  killing  the 
prisoners,  filling  up  the  hole  to  the  very  top? 
What  do  you  say  to  all  that?" 

"  Why,  I  never  heard  of  this  in  all  my  life  I 
How  do  you  know  it  ?  Tell  me,  now.  Tell  me  all 
about  it.  Where  is  the  place?  Is  it  here  —  in 
this  bay  ?  " 

"  Of  course  it  is.  I've  said  as  much,"  replied 
the  landlord. 

"  But  you  didn't  mention  it  this  morning." 
"■  No,  because  you  only  wanted  to  hear  about 
fine  scenery.  This  place  isn't  particularl}^  remark- 
able for  that.  It's  a  little  island,  not  more  than 
three  miles  from  here,  up  that  way  to  tlie  right. 
It's  called  Oak  Island,  because  Captain  Kidd 
planted  it  with  acorns,  so  as  to  know  it  when  he 
came  back.  Well,  since  his  day,  the  acorns  have 
grown  to  be  oaks  —  some  of  them  pretty  big  — 
though  being  near  the  sea,  they  haven't  grown  so 
big  as  they  would  have  done  if  they  had  been 
planted  farther  inland." 
"  Oak  Island  !  "  repeated  Bart,  in  a  tone  which 
6 


M."U 


82 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


't.-'t\] 


expressed  the  most  profound  interest,  —  "  Oak 
Island  ! " 

"  That's  the  place,"  said  the  landlord.  "  I  won- 
der you  ain't  heard  of  Oak  Island  before." 

"  Never,"  said  Bart ;  "  that  is,  I've  heard  the 
name  mentioned ;  but  never  knew  that  Captain 
Kidd  had  anvthinc:  to  do  with  it.'^ 

"That's  just  what  he  had,"  said  the  landlord. 
"  Everybody  in  these  parts  can  tell  you  all  about 
it.  People  have  been  full  of  it  ever  since  Chester 
was  settled.     I've  heard  it  all  my  life." 

"  Bet  if  there's  money  there,  why  don't  they 
get  it  ?  "  asked  Bart. 

"  Because  they  can't  1 " 

«  Can't  ?  " 

"  No,  can't.  Captain  Kidd  knowed  what  he  was 
about,  and  he  made  his  arrangements  so  that,  from 
that  day  to  this,  nobody's  ever  been  able  to  get 
down  to  the  bottom  of  that  money-hole,  and,  in 
my  humble  opinion,  never  will." 

"  Why  not  ?     I  don't  understand.'^ 

"  Well,"  said  the  landlord,  "  it's  a  long  story ; 
but  as  I've  got  nothing  to  do  just  now,  I  don't 
mind  telling  you  about  it." 

So  sa}ing,  the  landlord  settled  himself  into  an 
easy,  lounging  attitude,  and  began  the  story  of 
Oak  Island* 


THE  landlord's  STORY   OF  OAK   ISLAND.         83 


.  "  Oak 

■  I  won- 

ird  the 
Captain 

mdlord. 
U  about 
Chester 

I't  they 


he  was 
at,  from 
e  to  get 

and,  in 


story ; 
I  don't 

into  an 
5tory  of 


VII. 

The  wonderful  Story  of  OaJc  Island.  —  jTIie  Circle 
in  the  Forest.  —  Digging  for  Gold.  —  Exciting 
Discoveries.  —  Far  down  in  tJie  Depths  of  the 
Earth.  —  The  Treasure  touched  at  last.  —  The 
Treasure  snatched  aicay.  —  A  new  Search^  and 
its  Results.  —  Boring  through  the  Chest  of  Gold.  — 
A  Company.  —  A  new  Pit  made.  —  The  Drain. 
—  New  Efforts.  —  Tlie  CoffVr  Dam.  —  New  Com- 
2)anies.  —  Captain  Kidd  too  much  for  them, 

BELIEVE,"  said  the  landlord, '^here's  always 
been  a  talk,  amonc^  th-j  people  around  here, 
that  ^- '  \ptain  Kidd  used  this  place  as  a  kind 
of  headquarters ;  and  this  idea  se  "'ins  to  mo  to 
have  come  down  from  old  settlers  wiio  might  have 
been  here  in  his  own  day,  —  French  and  others,  —  - 
though  Chester  wasn't  actually  settled  till  long 
after  his  time.  At  any  rate,  there  it  was,  and 
everybody  used  always  to  believe  that  Captain 
Kidd  hid  his  money  somewh'^rM  in  this  bay.  Well, 
nothing  very  particular  happened  till  some  sixty 
years  ago,  when  a  man,  on  visiting  Oak  Island, 
just  by  chance  saw  something  which  seemed  to 
him  very  curious. 


if«* 


.' 


^ 

^ 


84 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


$m 


"  The  island  was  overgrown  with  oaks  and  other 
trees  intermixed.  Now,  right  in  the  midst  of  these 
trees,  ho  came  to  a  queer-looking  yjlace.  It  was 
circular,  and  about  lii'tecn  feet  in  diameter.  Trees 
grew  all  around  it.  Just  on  this  circular  spot,  how- 
ever, nothing  grew  at  all,  not  even  moss  or  ferns. 
It  looked  as  if  it  had  been  cursed,  or  blasted. 
The  trees  were  all  around  it —  some  oak  and  some 
maple  ;  but  among  them  was  one,  —  pine  or  spruce, 
I  don't  know  which,  —  and  this  one  looked  a  good 
deal  older  than  the  others.  One  of  the  boughs  of 
this  old  pine  tree  projected  right  over  the  blasted 
circular  spot  in  a  very  singular  fashion,  and  on  this 
the  man  noticed  something  that  looked  like  very 
queer  grov/th  for  a  pine  tree.  lie  climbed  up,  and 
found  that  it  was  a  pulley,  which  was  so  rotten 
that  it  might  have  been  hanging  there  a  hundred 
years.  It  was  fastened  to  the  bough  by  a  chain, 
and  this  was  so  rusty  that  it  broke  in  his  hands. 
This  pulley  and  rusty  chain  the  man  removed  and 
took  with  him. 

"  Of  course,  as  you  may  imagine,  he  w^as  a  good 
deal  struck  by  the  appearance  of  things.  He  had 
always  heard  that  Captain  Kidd  had  once  fre- 
quented Mahone  Bay,  and  had  buried  treasure 
somewhere  about;  and  here  he  had  discovered  this 
blasted  spot  with  a  pulley  over  it,  in  the  very 
midst  of  the  woods  on  a  lonely  island  —  a  place 
that  looked  as  though  no  one  had  ever  been  there 
but  himself  since  that  pulley  was  last  used.     Of 


■' 


THE  landlord's   STORY  OP  OAK  ISLAND.        85 


1  other 
f  these 
It  was 

Trees 
)t;  how- 
'  ferns. 
)lu;Sted. 
d  some 
spruce, 
a  good 
ghs  of 
blasted 
on  this 
0  very 
lip,  and 

rotten 
undred 

chain, 

hands, 
cd  and 

a  good 
le  had 
ce  fre- 
easure 
ed  this 
0  very 
place 
there 
t.     Of 


course  he  asked  himself  what  the  meaning  of  all 
this  was  :  and  to  him  it  seemed  most  likely  tiiat  the 
circular  space  mtirked  some  pit  in  the  ground,  and 
that  the  pulley  had  been  used  to  lower  things 
down  into  this  pit. 

''  Well,  he  went  home,  and  didn't  say  anything 
about  it  to  a  living  soul,  except  his  son,  a  young 
man,  whom  he  wanted  to  help  him.  He  determined 
to  examine  deeper,  and  after  talking  it  over  with 
his  son,  he  was  more  determined  than  ever.  So 
the  very  next  day  they  began  their  preparations, 
taking  over  picks,  and  spades,  and  ro[)cs,  and  pro- 
visions, and  everything  that  could  be  needed  for 
their  purpose. 

"  They  went  to  work  and  dug  away  for  a  little 
distance,  Avhen  they  came  to  something  hard.  It 
was  a  stone  hewn,  —  not  very  smooth,  —  a  kind 
of  sandstone,  and  on  this  they  saw  some  marks 
that  looked  like  strange  letters.  They  were  igno- 
rant men,  but  they  knew  the  alphabet,  and  they 
knew  that  this  was  no  kind  of  T^nglish  letters  at  all ; 
but  it  seemed  to  them  that  they  might  be  letters 
of  some  strange  alphabet.  They  took  this  stone 
away,  and  it's  been  preserved  ever  since,  and  it's 
there  yet  on  the  island,  built  into  the  wall  of  a 
cottage  there  for  safe  keeping.  I've  seen  it  my- 
self dozens  of  times.  That's  what  I  mean  when  I 
say  I've  seen  the  traces  of  Captain  Kidd,  for  it's  my 
solemn  conviction  that  he  cut  that  inscrii»tion  on 
the  stone  in  some  foreign  letters,  or  perhaps  in 
some  secret  cipher. 


^'^  \l 


4 


86 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE   SEAS. 


^'  After  takin<^  out  tliat  stone,  they  went  on  dig- 
ging luirder  tlian  ever,  and  about  two  feet  down 
they  came  to  a  sort  of  wooden  flooring.  The  wood 
was  in  good  preservation,  and  consisted  of  large 
logs,  a  dozen  feet  long,  laid  across  side  by  side, 
and  rough-hewed  about  six  inches  square.  They 
thought  that  they  had  come  to  the  money-hole 
now,  for  sure,  and  pulled  up  the  logs  quick  enough, 
you'd  better  believe  ;  but  they  didn't  know  what 
was  before  them.  After  taking  up  the  beams, 
they  found  they  had  to  dig  deeper :  and  so  they 
went  on  digging  away  deeper  and  deeper.  It  took 
a  long  time,  for  they  had  to  stay  up  the  earth  as 
they  dug  down,  to  prevent  it  from  falling  in,  and 
they  soon  found  that  the  job  was  a  bigger  one  than 
they  had  bargained  for  ;  but  what  they  had  already 
ibund  excited  them,  and  cheered  them  on  day 
ufter  day. 

"  Of  course  they  couldn't  do  this  all  in  one  day. 
One  day's  work  couldn't  take  them  far  into  that 
hole,  though  they  worked  like  beavers.  Well,  they 
dug  on  this  way,  and  at  last,  about  five  or  six  feet 
iiirther  down,  —  some  say  ten;  but  it  don't  make  any 
difference,  —  they  found  another  flooring  just  like 
the  first,  only  the  logs  were  smaller.  These  they 
took  up,  and  then  went  on  digging  as  before,  day 
after  day.  They  now  found  bits  of  things  that 
looked  favorable  ;  they  found  cocoa  husks,  r.nd 
West  India  grass,  and  bits  of  cane,  all  of  which 
showed  that  the  people  who  w^orked  here  must 


THE  landlord's  STORY  0?  OAK  ISLAND. 


87 


on  dig- 
dt  down 
be  wood 
of  large 
by  side, 
.  They 
ney-holo 
enough, 
)w  what 

beams, 
so  they 

It  took 
arth  as 

in,  and 
ne  than 
already 
on   day 

le  day. 
ito  that 
11,  they 
ix  feet 
ike  any 
st  like 
e  they 
re,  day 
!;s  that 
s,  r.nd 
which 
J  must 


have  had  something  to  do  wi  -h  the  West  Indies 
and  the  Spanish  Main.  These  'hings  never  grew 
in  Nova  Scotia.  They  had  been  brought  here  by  the 
men  that  made  the  hole",  and  had  got  mixed  up  with 
the  earth  that  they  shovelled  in.  Tliey  also  Ibund 
shavings  or  chips  made  with  tooL.  Well,  about 
the  same  distance  down  that  the  second  flooring 
had  been  from  the  first,  they  found  a  third  lljoring, 
which  was  just  like  the  second. 

"  At  this  third  flooring  there  was  a  fresh  disap- 
pointment, just  as  there  had  been  at  the  other  two ; 
but  the  very  fact  that  there  was  this  flooring  en- 
couraged them  to  go  on,  and  so  they  continued  to 
dig.  After  a  time  they  came  to  another  flooring, 
and  continuing  on,  they  came  to  another,  and  yet 
another ;  and  at  every  place  they  had  the  same  dis- 
appointment and  encouragement.  All  the  way  they 
found  the  same  signs,  that  the  soil  had  once  been 
turned  up  by  people  who  had  dealings  with  the 
Spanish  Main,  for  the  cocoa-nut  husks  and  th^; 
West  India  grasses  were  mixed  with  the  soil  all 
the  way.  All  the  time  they  had  to  keep  staying 
up  the  sides,  and  the  deeper  they  went,  the  more 
careful  they  had  to  be,  for  the  soil  seemed  loose 
and  dangerous  just  here. 

"  Well,  they  worked  this  way  for  about  three 
months,  and  at  last  had  got  ever  so  far  down  —  I 
have  heard  some  say  that  they  got  down  as  much  as  a 
hundred  feet,  and  that  would  be  about  seventy  feet 
below  the  level  of  the  sea  at  low  tide,  for  the  island 


88 


THE  TREASURE   OF   THE   8EAB. 


.1 


i'wii 


is  only  a  small  one,  and  doesn't  rise  more  than 
twenty-five  leet  at  the  higliest  point.  All  the  way 
down  they  had  found  the  signs  continuing,  showing 
that  diggers  had  been  hero  before,  and  tliat  the 
soil  had  been  turned  up.  This  h  was  that  led 
them  on  to  such  a  depth. 

"  Weil,  now  it  was  down  at  this  depth  that  they 
touched  the  treasure.  It  was  evening,  and  quite 
dark  down  there.  They  had  been  digging  all  day, 
and  were  about  to  just  knock  off.  The  son,  before 
going,  took  his  crowbar,  and  drove  it  with  all  his 
might  into  the  ground.  It  was  soft,  loose,  and 
gravelly  just  here,  and  the  iron  sank  for  about  a 
foot  into  the  soil,  and  struck  something  hard.  Their 
attention  was  attracted  by  this  at  once,  and  they 
tried  it  again  and  again.  Each  time  it  struck 
something  hard.  It  seemed  like  wood.  At  one  or 
two  places  it  seemed  like  metal.  They  tried  this  a 
good  many  times,  until  at  length  they  became  con- 
vinced that  this  was  a  wooden  box  with  iron  hoops 
or  fastenings,  and  that  this  box  contained  the  treas- 
ure for  which  they  were  searching.  But  by  this 
time  it  was  too  late  to  do  any  more.  To  get  at 
that  chest  would  require  a  good  day's  work.  To 
hoist  it  up  would  not  be  possible.  They  saw 
that  they  would  have  to  break  or  cut  into  it  as  it 
lay,  and  empty  it  of  its  contents.  They  were  also 
worn  out  with  their  long  day's  work,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  this,  they  did  not  feel  comfortable  down  in 
that  particular  place  after  dark.     So,  for  all  these 


"I! 


THE  landlord's   STORY   OF   OAK  ISLAND.         89 


reasons,  tlioy  concliulorl  to  postpone  the  comple- 
tion of  their  work  till  the  lollowing  day.  Aihr  all, 
there  was  no  reason  why  they  shouldn't.  No  one 
could  come  and  take  it.  It  would  be  thei  >)  un- 
moved till  they  might  want  to  remove  it  them- 
selves. And  so  the  long  and  the  short  of  it  is, 
they  went  up,  and  went  off  to  sleep  in  the  hut 
where  they  lived. 

"  That  night  they  slept  soundly,  and  waked  a  lit- 
tle later  than  usual  on  the  following  day.  They  at 
once  rushed  to  the  money-hole;  they  did  this  the 
moment  they  waked,  without  waiting  for  breakfast, 
or  taking  anything  to  eat.  They  both  felt  anxious, 
for  everything  was  at  stake,  and  the  sleep  of  both, 
though  sound,  had  been  marked  by  unpleasant  and 
harassing  dreams. 

"  Well,  they  reached  the  place,  and  there  an  aw- 
ful sight  met  them  —  a  sight  that  meant  ruination  to 
their  hopes,  and  to  all  the  hard  work  that  they'd  put 
forth  in  that  place.  The  hole  was  gone  ;  the  earth 
had  all  fallen  in  ;  the  stays  had  all  given  way  :  and 
there  was  nothing  there  now  but  a  basin-shaped 
hollow,  and  bits  of  board  projecting.  What  was 
worse,  it  was  all  mixed  with  water,  and  so  soft, 
that  in  attempting  to  walk  into  it,  they  sank  up  to 
their  knees  in  the  mud.  And  that  was  the  end  of 
this  first  digging  after  Kidd's  treasure  ;  for  though 
they  tried  to  dig  again,  they  found  it  impossible  on 
account  of  the  water.  It  seemed  to  come  straight 
from  the  sea,  and  they  couldn't  do  anything  at  all. 
So  they  had  to  give  up  at  last,  and  gu  home. 


i 

4 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


^/ 


/, 
-% 


^ 


^ 


^0 


1.0    ^i^Ui 

11.1   f.-^sa 

m  ^  IJ4 


0^ 


^ 


^ 


'-^ 


^ 


Sciences 
CorpoFalion 


23  WBT  MA(N  STRUT 

WIUTIR.N.Y.  149M 

(716)  •73-4903 


<^^ 


iV 


V 


« 


%'^^y'^^ 

^^^ 
^ 


4^ 
9 


^ 
d 


^s- 


90 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


!lil 


"  Now,  sorae  people  think  that  the  staying  wasn't 
strong  enough,  and  the  sides  caved  in  on  that  ac- 
count ;  others,  again,  talk  about  Kidd's  ghost  baf- 
fling these  diggers;  but,  from  what  was  discovered 
afterwards,  1  feel  perfectly  sure  that  they  them- 
selves somehow  let  in  the  water  of  the  sea  into  the 
hole  by  a  drain  or  channel  underground  that  Kidd 
himself  had  made.  I  think  those  knocks  on  the 
chest  with  the  crowbar  loosened  some  stopper,  and 
the  water  poured  in  at  once.  It  was  this  rush  of 
sea  water  that  destroyed  everything,  and  made  the 
hole  cave  in  altogether.  As  to  the  drain,  that  was  a 
contrivance  of  Kidd's  to  prevent  the  treasure  from 
being  dug  up  by  outsiders.  He  had  it  made 
underground  from  the  shore  of  the  island  at  low- 
water  mark  to  the  bottom  of  the  money-hole.  He 
himself,  or  any  one  in  the  secret,  would  know  how 
to  dig  and  get  the  treasure ;  but  any  one  who 
didn't  know  the  secret  would  be  sure  to  do  some- 
thing that  v/ould  let  in  the  sea  water.  And  that's 
just  what  these  first  diggers  did. 
-  "  Well,  after  this  nothing  was  done  for  a  long 
time.  These  two,  father  and  son,  went  home,  and 
for  a  while  they  kept  the  whole  business  a  secret ; 
but  after  some  years  the  old  man  died,  and  the 
son  married,  and  so  the  whole  ptory  leaked  out, 
till  everybody  knew  all  about  it.  Everybody  went 
then  to  see  the  place,  and  the  story  soon  got  to 
be  as  well  known  as  the  alphabet  all  over  the  bay ; 
and  I  won't  swear  but  that  some  additions  were 


THE  landlord's  STORY  OP  OAK  ISLAND.        91 


;  wasn^t 
that  ac- 
ost  baf- 
severed 
y  them- 
into  the 
at  Kidd 
on  the 
3er,  and 
'ush  of 
lade  the 
\t  was  a 
re  from 
;  made 
at  low- 
e.  He 
)w  how 
le  who 
some- 
I  that's 

a  long 
ne,  and 
secret ; 
nd  the 
)d  out, 
y  went 
got  to 

bay; 

were 


le 

B 


made  to  the  story  as  it  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth, 
for  that  would  only  be  natural,  after  all;  but  at 
any  rate,  that  story  lived,  and  people  didn't  forget 
the  treasure  on  Oak  Island.  And  so  time  passed, 
and  the  son  died  at  last,  and  the  grandson  grew  up, 
and  this  one  thought  that  he  would  make  a  dash  at 
the  treasure.  This  was  as  much  as  forty  years  after 
the  first  digging.  He  went  with  a  few  friends, 
and  they  tried  to  dig,  but  couldn't.  The  money- 
hole  remained  as  it  had  been  left  by  the  first  dig- 
gers,—  all  sand;  and  gravel,  and  water,  —  more 
like  a  quicksand  than  anything  else.  They  put 
a  pump  in  it,  and  set  it  to  work,  but  couldn't  do 
anything  that  way.     So  they  gave  it  up. 

"  Well,  these  operations  got  known  everywhere, 
and  the  whole  story  came  up  again.  A  lot  of  men 
formed  themselves  into  a  company,  the  grandson 
was  one  of  them.  They  bought  the  island,  and 
resolved  to  go  to  work  on  a  grand  scale.  They 
rigged  a  pump  which  was  worked  by  a  horse  in  a 
very  peculiar  fashion,  and  had  a  hoisting  apparatus 
worked  by  another  horse  to  lift  up  the  dirt.  They 
got  a  lot  of  wood  on  the  place  for  stayings  to 
the  hole,  and  went  to  work.  Before  they  began, 
they  bored  down  for  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet. 
On  taking  out  the  auger,  they  saw  on  the  lowest 
part  scraps  of  wood,  then  bright  scrapings  that 
looked  like  gold,  then  wood  again.  And  this 
showed  that  the  auger  had  gone  clean  through  the 
chest,  and  had  brought  back  signs  of  the  chest  it- 


■  i- 


'  V- 


n 


IIP 


■i  ■ 


92 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


self,  and  of  the  treasure  inside.  This  created  the 
greatest  excitement,  and  the  company  went  to 
work  as  eagerly  and  as  industriously  as  the  original 
diggers.  Well,  they  kept  at  it,  and  dug,  and 
hoisted,  and  pumped  for  a  whole  summer ;  but  it 
was  no  go.  As  fast  as  they  pumped,  the  water 
poured  in,  and  faster  too ;  and  in  fact,  they  couldn't 
make  the  slightest  impression  on  the  water  in  the 
money-hole,  do  what  they  would.  So  they  gave  up. 
"  Well,  after  this,  another  company  started. 
The  new  company  bought  out  from  the  old  all  its 
rights,  and  started  on  a  new  plan.  Many  of  the 
old  company  belonged  to  the  new  one,  and  these 
had  learned  by  experience  the  impossibility  of  do- 
ing anything  by  digging  in  the  money-hole  itself. 
The  new  plan  consisted  in  digging  a  new  hole  alto- 
gether. In  the  operations  of  the  old  company  they 
had  discovered  that  though  the  money-hole  was  all 
sand  and  gravel,  yet  all  around  it  the  soil  was  a 
bard  blue  clay,  quite  impervious  to  water,  and  very 
easy  to  work  in.  They  thought  by  digging  along- 
side the  money-hole,  as  near  as  the  clay  would 
allow,  they  might  go  down  to  the  same  depth,  and 
then  tunnel  along  at  the  bottom  till  they  reached 
the  treasure  chest.  So  they  went  to  work  about 
thirty  feet  away  from  the  money-hole,  digging  in 
the  clay.  They  had  no  trouble  in  digging.  The 
soil  was  free  from  stones,  firm  clay,  impervious  to 
water,  and  they  made* first-rate  progress  to  a  cer- 
tain extent.    They  got  down  about  a  hundred  feet. 


THE  landlord's  STORY   OF  OAK   ISLAND.        93 


and  then  ventured  to  tunnel  towards  the  money- 
hole.  They  worked  very  carefully,  for  it  was 
rather  dangerous,  as  they  were  under  the  level  of 
the  sea,  and  were  therefore  exposed  to  a  rush  of 
water  at  any  false  movement  that  they  might 
make.  But  in  spite  of  all  their  care,  they  failed  at 
last ;  for  one  day  they  went  up  to  dinner,  and  on 
going  back  again,  they  found  the  new  hole  filled 
with  water  to  within  thirty  feet  or  so  of  the  top. 
It  was  a  sore  disappointment,  and  they  could  only 
console  themselves  by  the  thought  that  they  had 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  have  left  the  hole  at  that 
particular  time.  They  tried  to  pump  out  the 
water,  and  made  some  faint  efforts  tc  continue  their 
work,  but  it  was  no  use.  The  failure  had  been  too 
great,  and  this  attempt  broke  down. 

"  Well, they  now  concluded  that  there  was  a  drain, 
—  the  same  one  I  spoke  of  a  while  ago,  —  reach- 
ing from  the  shore  of  the  island  at  low-water  mark, 
or  beneath  it,  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  money- 
hole,  and  that  they  had  somehow  broken  into  this 
drain,  the  waters  of  which  had  poured  into  the 
new  hole,  and  flooded  it.  Tais  discovery  created 
fresh  excitement ;  and  as  this  company  gave  up,  a 
new  one  was  formed,  which  bought  out  all  previous 
rights,  and  on  the  following  summer  proceeded  to 
make  a  fresh  attempt.  Each  one  of  these  compa- 
nies which  had  been  bought  out  still  retained,  how- 
ever, a  claim  on  the  profits  that  might  be  made ; 
Bometimes  twenty  per  cent,  and  sometimes  ten  per 


h 

k 

(■!'• 

it.. 


'^ 


r 


Ma 

ill-  i^ 


1-^.-:  , 


'9,!| 


T 


94 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


cent,  of  the  treasure.  The  new  company,  even  if 
it  had  succeeded,  could  only  have  received  about 
one  fifth,  or  perhaps  one  fourth,  of  the  treasure,  the 
rest  being  all  forfeited,  or  mortgaged,  so  to  speak, 
to  the  old  companies.  Still  the  new  company 
had  many  members  who  belonged  to  the  old  coip- 
panies,  and  who  still  stuck  to  the  enterprise 
through  thick  and  thin,  so  that  their  undertaking, 
under  such  circumstances,  is  not  so  surprising, 
after  all. 

"  This  new  company,  using  the  experience  and 
discoveries  of  the  preceding  ones,  went  on  a 
new  principle.  The  idea  now  was,  that,  first  of 
all,  the  drain  should  be  discovered,  and  the  supply 
of  water  intercepted.  If  this  were  done,  they 
would  be  able  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  the  original 
money-hole  itself  without  any  trouble.  So  they  set 
to  work,  and  explored  the  whole  shore  of  the  island. 
They  found  one  place  where  at  low  tide  there  was 
a  great  bubbling  in  the  water,  and  this  they  took 
for  the  place  where  the  drain  began.  Here  they 
built  a  coffer  dam,  and  then  tried  to  find  the 
drain  itself.  On  the  shore  they  met  with  no  suc- 
cess; so  they  dug  pits  at  intervals  along  a  line 
stretching  from  the  coffer  dam  to  the  money- 
hole.  The  soil  in  all  these  places  consisted  of 
that  same  tenacious  blue  clay  which  I  have 
already  mentioned.  I  don^t  know  how  many  of 
these  were  dug,  but  there  were  several,  at  any 
rate.     Now,  whenever  they  attempted  to  strike  the 


dr 
an 
as 
afi 

WJ 

th( 
as 


t  even  if 
jd  about 
sure,  the 
0  speak, 
company 
old  coiji- 
iterprise 
jrtaking, 
rprising, 

nee  and 

at  on  a 

first  of 

B  supply 

Qe,  they 

original 

they  set 

e  island. 

ere  was 

ley  took 

re  they 

find  the 


no  Buc- 
;  a  line 
money- 
3ted  of 
I  have 
any  of 
at  any 
ike  the 


THE  landlord's  STOBT  OF  OAK  ISLAND.         95 

drain,  the  water  was  invariably  too  much  for  them, 
and  rushed  in,  giving  them  nothing  to  do  but  to  fly 
as  fast  as  they  could.  In  other  places  they  were 
afraid  to  venture  too  near  the  drain.  The  end  of  it 
was,  that  this  last  company  was  as  unsuccessful  as 
the  others,  though  it  had  spent  ten  times  as  much 
as  any  of  them.'' 


^^  i 

li  •*' 

3  I. 

ii  if 


,  4 


f 


I 


I 


.r 


i 


■*-F 

fen 


96 


THE   TREASURE  OF   THi:  SEAS. 


VIIT. 

The  Toilers  of  the  Sea,  —  New  Efforts  to  find  the 
Plunder  of  the  Spanish  3Iain.  —  Modern  Science 
versus  Captain  Kidd.  — The  Landlord'' s  Faith. 
—  Scoffers  and  Mockers  at  the  Money-hole.  —  Ob- 
jections considered.  —  Tlie  Timber  Floorings. — 
Tlie  StonCj  with  its  mysterious  Inscription.  — The 
Gravel  pit,  with  its  Surroundings  of  blue  Clay, — 
The  Drain  from  the  Sea  to  the  Money-hole, 


P,  you  see,"  said  the  landlord,  "how  all  these 
efforts  to  get  at  the  treasure  have  failed  ; 
and  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  the  reason,  ei- 
ther. For,  you  see,  as  I  have  already  said,  the 
money-hole  has  been  all  filled  in  with  sand  and 
gravel,  and  there  is  a  drain,  or  channel,  connecting 
with  the  sea,  which  lets  in  the  sea  water ;  so,  the 
moment  any  one  undertakes  to  touch  the  money- 
hole,  he  has  to  contend  with  the  sea  itself,  and 
there  hasn't,  thus  far,  been  force  enough  put  forth 
there  to  do  that.  The  money-hole  is  something 
peculiar.  All  around  it  the  soil  is  this  blue  clay. 
No  doubt  the  soil  where  this  was  first  dug  was 
blue  clay  also;  but,  after  burying  the  treasure, 


IP' 


THE   landlord's  STORY   OP   OAK   ISLAND.        97 


ind  the 
Science 
Faith. 
.—  Ob- 
ings.  — 
.—The 
Hay. — 


,1  these 
failed  ; 
son,  ei- 
id,  the 
id  and 
lecting 
so,  the 
noney- 
If,  and 
forth 
lething 
6  clay, 
g  was 
leisure. 


Kidd,  for  his  own  crafty  purposes,  filled  it  np  with 
this  gravel.  No  doubt  his  idea  was,  that  the  sea 
water  should  affect  it  the  more  thoroughly,  and  make 
it  like  a  great  quicksand.  The  pumps  they  set  up 
there  did  no  more  good  than  if  they  were  so 
many  toys. 

"  Well,  the  failure  of  the  last  company  has  been 
followed  by  a  pause,  partly  on  account  of  discour- 
agement, but  still  more  from  the  determination,  on 
the  part  of  a  few,  to  begin  again  on  a  grand  scale ; 
on  a  scale,  indeed,  so  grand,  that  it  will  take  some 
time  to  make  all  the  preparations.  Some  of  the 
leaders  in  the  previous  undertakings  are  at  the 
head  of  this  new  movement,  and  havo  already  done 
very  much  towards  putting  it  into  life  and  action. 
This  new  plan  is  to  get  up  a  regular  joint  stock 
company,  with  a  thousand  shares,  each  worth  a 
hundred  dollars,  or  thereabouts.  It  will  be  a  reg- 
ular company  ;  the  shares  will  be  sold  in  the  market, 
and  the  stockholders  will  stand  in  the  same  relation 
to  this  business  as  they  would  to  a  coal  mine,  or 
any  other  ordinary  undertaking.  They'll  have  a 
president,  a  board  of  directors,  and  a  superintend- 
ent of  the  mining  works.  It  is  proposed  to  employ 
a  regular  engineer  to  survey  the  ground,  and  de- 
sign the  best  mode  of  going  to  work  ;  to  put  up  a 
steam  engine  of  sufficient  power  to  pump  out  the 
money-hole,  and  keep  a  large  force  of  men  at  work, 
night  and  day,  in  separate  detachments.     The  idea 

7 


if; 


'f  \ 


i 

■A 


4     -r-T  - 


98 


THE  TREASURE   OF   THE  SEAS. 


m 


i). : :  -■  -'i 


llllil 


is,  to  do  it  up  as  fast  as  possible,  and  get  at  it  once 
for  all,  or  fail  utterly. 

"  Now,  tliis  company  is  already  started,  and 
about  a  quarter  of  the  stock  has  been  taken  up.  I 
shouldn't  be  surprised  to  see  them  sot  to  work 
next  year,  or  the  year  after,  at  the  farthest.  The 
thing  is  bound  to  go  on.  Besides  those  who  be- 
lieve that  the  treasure  is  here,  there  are  ever  so 
many  who  wish  to  see  the  mystery  cleared  up, 
irrespective  of  any  treasure.  These  men  are 
going  into  the  now  company  almost  as  extensively 
as  those  who  believe  in  the  money.  Then,  again, 
there  are  ever  so  many  people  about  the  country 
who  have  heard  about  it  for  the  first  time,  and  are 
taking  shares  just  as  they  would  buy  tickets  in  a 
lottery ;  not  beca ase  they  expect  to  make  anything, 
exactly,  but  because  they  are  willing  to  run  tho 
risk,  and  take  their  chance. 

"  This  sort  of  thing,  of  course,  has  a  far  different 
prospect  from  what  the  old  companies  had.  It 
puts  the  whole  plan  on  a  different  footing.  It 
makes  it,  in  fact,  a  thoroughly  legitimate  business, 
and  sets  on  as  sound  a  basis  as  if  it  was  an  iron 
or  coal  mining  company.  A  real,  practical  en- 
gineer—  a  man  who  is  a  practical  geologist  also 
—  could  tell  more  about  Oak  Island  in  one  walk 
round  it,  than  the  other  workers  found  out  in 
years.  He  could  find  out  the  real  place  where  the 
sea  water  enters ;  whether  there  is  one  only,  or 
more  than  one.     When  once  that  is  found  out,  and 


THE   landlord's  STORY   OP  OAK    ISLAND.         99 


stopped,  the  rest  is  easy.  But,  if  they  can*t  stop 
it,  why,  then,  lot  the  steam  pump  go  to  work,  and  1 
d(m't  think  the  money-hole  would  bo  flooded  much 
longer.  Then,  agjiin,  the  plan  of  having  two  gangs 
to  work  night  and  day,  so  as  to  have  no  stoppage 
in  the  operations,  will  be  a  most  important  thing. 
And  so,  what  with  modern  science,  and  steam,  and 
continuous  work  of  large  gangs',  even  old  Kidd 
himself '11  find  his  match. 

"The  fact  is,  the  gold  is  there — the  treasure 
of  Captain  Kidd  —  brought  here  by  him,  and  buried 
in  that  hole.  I  no  more  doubt  that  than  I  doubt 
rnv  own  existence.  If  that  hole  had  never  been 
touched,  and  people  went  to  work  now  at  the  fresh 
ground,  I  believe  the  treasure  would  be  got  at. 
Why,  the  first  diggers  aliuost  got  it,  though  there 
were  only  two  of  them.  The  gold  is  there  — 
there's  not  the  slightest  doubt  of  that  —  a  treasure 
beyond  all  estimate  —  worth  millions  on  millions, 
no  doubt — gold  and  silver  ingots  —  the  plunder 
of  Spanish  cathedrals  and  Spanish  galleons  —  dia- 
monds and  rubies —  and  all  that.  Millions?  Why, 
it's  equal  in  value  to  the  revenue  of  a  great  nation. 
There  it  is;  and  all  it  wants  is  for  people  to  go  to 
work  in  the  right  way ;  not  in  a  pettifogging, 
mean,  peddling  fashion,  but  in  a  large-handed,  bold, 
vigorous  way.  That's  the  thing  that  '11  fetch  up 
the  plunder  of  tlie  Spanish  Main  !  I've  sometimes 
heard  people  say  that  there  was  once  a  g^eat  con- 
federacy of  pirates  that  made  this  bay  tfif^ir  liead- 


Ml 


(■  lit 

I-    I 


I:- 


III 


100 


TIIK  TRKASURG   OF  THE  SEAS, 


Mr  > 


quarters,  and  that  Captain  Kidd  was  the  last  and 
greatest  of  the  brotherhood.  Until  his  time  the 
plunder  had  been  kept  in  a  safe  place,  but  in  a 
place  where  it  could  be  got  at;  but  tliut  he,  being 
the  last  of  the  brotherhood,  determined  to  fix  up 
some  safer  place,  and  so  he  arranged  this  place  — 
the  hole  and  the  drain ;  and  if  that's  so,  we  have 
here  not  merely  the  plunder  of  Captain  Kidd  him- 
Folf,  but  of  all  the  pirates,  for  no  one  knows  how 
long-  a  time  —  centuries,  I  dare  say.'' 

To  all  this  extraordinary  story  the  boys  had 
listened  with  the  deepest  attention.  The  land- 
lord's announcement  of  his  own  belief  in  it  was 
to  them  very  impressive,  and  his  extravagant  con- 
clusion did  not  seem  at  all  extravagant  to  them. 
It  accorded  perfectly  with  what  they  had  heard 
from  the  governor  of  Sable  Island.  They  were 
most  profoundly  impressed,  and  the  treasure  island 
seemed  to  them  more  attractive  than  ever.  The 
landlord's  mind  seemed  to  be  filled  with  a  vision 
of  inconceivable  treasure,  and  b}^  long  familiarity 
with  the  thought,  it  seemed  quite  natural  to  him  to 
speak  so  glibly  about  gold,  and  silver,  and  precious 
stones,  and  all  the  rest  that  went  to  make  up  the 
plunder  of  the  Spanish  Main.  . 

Bart  and  Pat  were  not  critical ;  none  of  the  boys 
were.  This  remark  has  already  been  made  in  con- 
nection with  the  story  of  the  governor  of  Sable 
Island.  Had  they  been  critical,  they  could  have 
picked  various  holes  in  this  narrative,  and  asked 


h: 


QUESTIONS   IN   REGARD   TO  THE  STORY. 


.101 


,st  and 
ne  tlie 
it  in  a 
,  being 
fix  up 
lace  — 
e  liavo 
id  liim- 
vs  how 

ys  had 
e  land- 
it  was 
,nt  con- 
)  them. 
I  heard 
y  were 
island 
The 
vision 
liliarity 
him  to 
recious 
up  the 

le  boys 

in  con- 

If  Sable 

d  have 

asked 


qnostions  to  which  it  would  havo  been  difficult  for 
the  landlord,  or  any  other  believer  in  Kidd's  treas- 
ure, to  give  any  sufficient  answer.  They  might 
havo  asked  how  it  was  that  the  tradition  about  the 
early  diggers  had  been  so  minute,  and  wliy  it  was 
that  no  competent  scholar  or  arcluoologist  had 
been  found  who  might  decipher  tho  inscription  on 
the  stone.  They  might  have  asked  how  it  was 
tliat  tho  so-called  "  drain  "  had  been  discovered,  and 
also  how  it  was  that  Kidd's  so-called  "  place  "  was 
known  so  accurately.  But  they  were  not  at  all 
critically  inclined,  and  the  questions  which  they 
did  ask  were  of  a  totally  diifcrent  kind. 

They  did  ask  questions,  of  course  ;  and  tho  ques- 
tions referred  to  the  chief  points  in  tho  landlord's 
story.  They  had  much  to  ask  about  tiio  first  dis- 
covery, tho  size  of  tho  island,  the  appearance  of 
the  blasted  circular  spot,  of  the  tree  and  the  pro- 
jecting bough;  about  the  pulley  and  its  chain; 
about  the  log  floorings,  their  number,  their  distance 
apart,  and  their  probable  use  in  a  money-hole ; 
about  the  West  Indian  grass,  tho  cocoa-nut  husks, 
and  the  sugar-cane,  which  were  the  signs  of  some 
connection  with  the  Spanish  Main  ;  about  the  shav- 
ings and  chips  of  wood ;  about  the  gravelly  soil, 
contrasting  with  the  blue  clay  around  it :  about  tho 
eventful  moment  when  tho  first  diggers  touched 
the  money-box  with  the  crowbar,  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  their  work  during  the  night.  They  asked 
also,  very  minutely,  about  the  stone  with  the  ia- 


h 


ij 
u 


04 


102 


THE  TREASURE  OP   THE  SEAS. 


pcription,  its  kind  and  its  size,  and  why  it  should 
have  been  inserted  into  tlio  chimney  of  a  hut ; 
about  the  drain,  its  size,  and  wlicther  it  was  built 
of  wood,  or  brick,  or  stone;  and  about  the  nature 
of  the  signs  brought  up  by  the  auger  when  they 
bored  through  the  money-box. 

All  these  questions  showed  how  close  had  been 
the  attention  with  which  they  had  listened.  To 
every  one  of  them,  without  exception,  the  land- 
lord responded  in  tlie  most  unhesitating  and  the 
most  comprehensive  manner.  It  was  evident  that 
he  had  turned  over  every  point  in  his  mind  that 
they  now  suggested ;  that  he  was  familiar  with 
every  objection,  and  was  armed  and  equipped  at 
all  points  with  facts  and  arguments  to  sustain 
his  theory. 

That  there  were  plenty  of  objections  to  that 
theory  became  evident  from  the  landlord's  own 
very  frequent  allusions  to  them,  and  it  seemed,  by 
the  way  in  which  he  spoke  of  them,  as  though  he 
himself  had  often  and  often  done  battle  with  scorn- 
ful or  sceptical  opponents. 

"  For  my  own  part,"  said  the  landlord,  "  I  don't 
think  much  of  any  of  these  objections.  Objections 
are  easy  enough  to  make.  You  can  make  them  to 
anything  you  like  —  or  don't  like.  The  truest 
things  in  the  world  meet  with  lota  of  unbelievers, 
who  offer  objections.  Now,  I  know  this  whole 
story  to  be  true,  and  I  don't  value  the  objections 
a  rush. 


ti 
P 

Bi 
C 


OBJECTIONS   ANSWERED. 


103 


it  should 
P  a  hut ; 
vaa  built 
3  nature 
len  they 

ad  been 
led.  To 
he  land- 
aud  the 
ent  that 
ind  that 
ar  with 
pped  at 
sustain 

to  that 
Vs  own 
ned,  by 
ugh  he 
1  scorn- 

I  don't 
ections 
;hem  to 

truest 
lievers, 

whole 
ections 


"  One  objection,  for  instance,  is,  that  the  story  of 
the  first  diggers  has  been  exaggerated  in  every 
particular.  In  passing  from  mouth  to  mouth,  they 
say,  each  one  has  added  to  it,  and  that  all  the  little 
circumstances  that  I  have  mentioned  have  been 
either  thrown  in  to  make  up  a  story,  or  colored  so 
as  to  favor  a  belief  in  the  money-hole.  Now,  as  to 
that,  all  I  can  say  is,  that  the  two  men  always  told 
a  straight  story,  without  any  additions,  and  the 
younger  one  lived  down  to  my  time,  and  so  could 
easily  be  referred  to  by  any  one.  He  always  made 
the  same  statement. 

"  A  great  objection  is,  that  two  men  could  never 
have  dug  down  so  far,  and  stayed  up  the  sides  of 
the  pit,  as  the  story  said  they  did.  It  has  been 
asserted  that  they  couldn't  have  dug  down  more 
than  twenty  or  thirty  feet,  and  that  tliey  probably 
got  down  that  far  when  they  came  to  the  water, 
which  prevented  them  from  going  any  farther.  To 
which  I  answer,  not  only  that  two  men  could  have 
dug  a  hundred  feet,  but  that  they  have  done  so, 
over  and  over,  on  the  same  ground,  for  in  the  holes 
made  since,  it  isn't  possible  for  more  than  two  to 
work  at  the  same  time.  The  shafts  are  only  about 
six  feet  long  by  three  wide,  and  in  that  space  there 
isn't  room  for  more  than  two,  of  course. 

"  When  I  find  men  who  don't  believe  in  Kidd's 
treasure,  and  ask  them  what  could  have  been  there, 
they  make  various  answers ;  but  the  favorite  one 
is,  that  it  was  some  sort  of  a  signal-station.    But, 


■  ■:-    f 


I 


104 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


unfortunately,  Oak  Island  is  the  last  place  about 
here  that  one  could  think  of  for  such  a  purpose  as 
that.  Still,  that  is  what  they  urge,  and  they  say 
that  the  timber  floorings  were  probably  intended 
as  a  foundation.  When  I  ask  them  why  thore  were 
so  many  timber  floorings,  they  quietly  deny  the 
fact.  They  say  that  there  might  have  been  one 
or  two  such  floorings,  to  the  depth  of  perhnps  ten 
feet,  or  so,  but  won't  believe  any  more.  When  1 
point  to  the  testimony  of  the  surviving  one  of  the 
first  diggers,  they  deny  the  value  of  it,  and  say 
that  it  is  only  the  exaggeration  of  an  old  man,  who 
has  been  telling  the  same  tall  story  for  years,  till 
it  has  grown  to  its  present  dimensions.  And  when 
people  choose  to  argue  in  that  style,  and  reject  the 
best  sort  of  evidence  that  there  can  bo,  why,  of 
course,  there's  an  end  of  all  discussion.  They  set 
out  with  a  blind  prejudice,  deny  plain  facts,  or  ex- 
plain them  away  in  the  most  fanciful  manner,  and 
then  turn  round  and  ridicule  those  who  believe  in 
what  is  as  plain  as  day." 

The  landlord  was  silent  for  a  moment,  overcome 
by  a  kind  of  mild  indignation  at  the  sceptic  of 
whom  he  spoke,  after  which  he  proceeded. 

"Then  there's  that  stone  wiih  the  mysteriotis 
inscription.  It's  been  seen  by  hundreds.  No  one 
has  ever  been  found  yet  who  can  make  out  what  it 
means.  As  I  said  before,  it  is  either  some  foreign 
language,  or  else,  as  is  quite  probable,  it  is  dome 
secret  cipher,  known  only  to  Kidd  himself —  per- 


OBJECTIONS   ANSWERED. 


105 


e  about 
rpose  as 
hey  say 
nt  ended 
ire  were 
eny  the 
sen  one 
laps  ten 
When  1 
e  of  the 
and  say 
an,  who 
ears,  till 
id  when 
iject  the 
why,  of 
'hey  set 
or  ex- 
ler,  and 
ieve  in 

ercome 
ptic  of 

terions 
^o  one 
what  it 
foreign 
s  dome 
—  per- 


haps used  by  the  great  pirate  confederacy.  It 
shows,  more  than  anything  else,  that  this  hole  v-^as 
dug  by  Captain   Kidd,  and   that  his   treasure  is 


the 


Now,  how  do 


)u  suppose  they  get  over 
that  ?  "  ' 

And  with  this  question  the  landlord  looked  ear- 
nestly and  solemnly  at  the  two  boys. 

The  two  boys  couldn't  imagine  how  anybody 
could  get  over  it;  though  Bart  could  not  help 
wondering  a  little  how  it  came  that,  if  the  inscrip- 
tion could  not  be  deciphered,  the  landlord  should 
nevertheless  know  so  well  that  it  referred  to  Cap- 
tain Kidd. 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  said  the  landlord,  "  the  way  they 
get  over  it.  They  have  the  impudence  to  say  that 
it  isn't  an  inscription  at  all.  Actually,  because 
no  one  can  decipher  it,  they  say  it  ain't  an  in- 
scription !  They  say  it's  only  some  accidental 
scratches  I  Now,  I  allow,"  continued  the  Irindlord, 
"that  the  marks  are  rather  faint,  and  irregular; 
but  how  any  man  can  look  at  them,  and  say  that 
they're  not  an  inscription  —  how  any  man  can  look 
at  them  and  say  that  they're  accidental  scratches  — 
is  a  thing  that  makes  me  fairly  dumb  with  amaze- 
ment. 

"  Well,  then  there  ar^  other  things,  too,"  con- 
tinued the  landlord,  "  which  they  handle  in  the 
same  manner.  One  of  the  strangest  things  about 
this  whole  story  is  the  i'aot  that  the  soil  in  the 
money-hole  is  different  from  that  of  the  rest  of  the 


i 

I 


I- 


fl) 


I 

4 


106 


THE  TREASUBE   OF  THE   SEAS. 


island,  being  sand  and  gravel;  whereas  the  rest 
of  the  island,  as  I  told  yon,  is  blue  clay.  It's  just 
as  if  a  hole  was  dug  in  the  blue  clay,  and  then  filled 
in  with  sand  and  gravel  brought  from  somewhere 
else.     Well,  how  do  you  think  they  get  over  this  ?  " 

Again  the  landlord  looked  inquiringly  at  the 
two  boys. 

Again  the  two  boys  gave  it  up. 

"  Why,"  said  the  landlord,  **  they  get  over  it  in 
the  usual  fashion.  They  say  it  isn't  a  fact  that  the 
island  is  blue  clay,  but  that  there's  streaks  and 
patches  of  gravel  all  over  it,  and  the  two  men  hit 
upon  a  place  where  the  soil  was  sandy  and  gravelly. 
That's  the  way  they  get  over  that  point ;  and  I'd 
like  to  ask  any  man  if  that's  fair ;  if  that's  honest ; 
if  that's  decent.  Yet  that's  the  way  they  talk  — 
when  they  can  go  to  the  island,  and  see  wherever 
fresh  holes  have  been  dug,  the  blue  clay  is  turned 
up.  But  when  I  point  out  that,  they  say,  *0, 
that's  because  the  holes  are  all  dug  on  that  one 
side  of  the  island  where  the  blue  clay  is.' 

"  Then,  again,  there's  the  drain,"  continued  the 
landlord.  "  Now,  if  any  one  thing  is  an  established 
fact,  next  to  the  buried  money  —  it's  Kidd's  drain. 
It's  been  broken  into  time  after  time.  It's  flooded 
hole  after  hole.  Yet,  in  the  face  of  this,  they  say 
that  there  isn't  any  drain  at  all '-  that  there's  merely 
some  loose  soil  on  the  island,  or  some  subterranean 
passage,  made  by  nature,  through  which  the  sea 
water  passes,  and  that  the  bottom  of  the  so-called 


DRAIN  FROM  THE  SEA  TO  THE  MONEY-HOLE.   107 


monev-hole  has  been  connected  with  this.  Some 
say,  that  as  the  island  is  small,  the  sea  water 
trickles  through  the  soil,  in  some  places,  all 
the  way  across.  So,  of  course,  these  men,  shut- 
ting their  eyes  obstinately  to  hard  facts,  laugh  at 
the  very  idea  of  a  drain.  And  that's  the  sort  of 
objections  that  we  have  to  meet  I  "  concluded  the 
landlord,  with  a  snort  of  contempt. 

"  Is  any  one  working  on  Oak  Island  nov  ' " 
asked  Bart,  after  a  pause. 

"  Well,  no,  not  just  now.  There  isn't  a  soul  on 
the  island.  Since  the  last  company  gave  up,  no 
one  has  touched  the  works  —  except,  occasionally, 
some  visitors.  Everything  is  standing  there  — 
the  pumps,  the  hoisting  tackle,  and  all  that.  You'll 
see  the  holes  all  about;  and  the  money-hole  can 
easily  be  known,  for  it  is  a  hollow  in  the  ground, 
shaped  like  a  bowl,  close  by  the  largest  pump, 
with  a  deep  hole  beside  it,  full  of  water ;  for,  unfor- 
tunately, they  struck  the  drain  too  soon,  and  of 
course  the  water  rushed  upon  them.'' 

At  this  point  the  landlord  recollected  some  busi- 
ness that  he  had  to  attend  to,  and  rising  to  lii.^ 
feet,  he  slowly  sauntered  away. 


!l 


11 


*'•] 


H    I  I  » 


108 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


IX. 

Bart  and  Pat  taJae  a  Walk.  —  A  Conversation.  — 
Pat  makes  a  Suggestion.  —  Bart  adopts  it.  —  A 
Tunnel  to  the  Treasure  of  the  Sea.  —  A  Plot 
kept  secret  from  the  others.  —  Plans  for  As2:)ot- 
agon.  —  Keeping  their  oion  Counsel.  —  Ba^^t  and 
Pat  set  forth.  —  Stealing  a  Boat.  —  The  Search 
for  ^he  Treasure  Island.  —  The  Intelligent  Na- 
tive. —  A  new  Way  of  getting  at  the  Treasure. 
—  Blood  and.  Thunder! — Once  more  on  the 
Way.  —  TJie  Pirates'  Me  I 

>HE  landlord's  stoiy  had  produced  a  very  pro- 
found impression  upon  the  minds  of  the 
boys,  and  the  reiterated  emphasis  which 
he  placed  upon  the  treasure  supposed  to  be  buried 
there  did  not  fail  to  kindle  their  imaginations  to  a 
wonderful  degree.  But  together  with  this  excite- 
ment, and  astonishment  at  the  magnitude  of  the 
supposed  treasure,  there  were  also  otlicr  feelings, 
which  latter  tended  to  repel  them  as  much  as  the 
former  tended  to  attract  them.  These  feelings 
consisted  of  discouragement  and  disappointment, 
at  learning  the  insuperable  difficulties  that  lay  in 


BART  AND   PAT  TAKE  A  WALK. 


100 


tiOll.  — 

it.  —  A 
A  Plot 
"  As2)ot- 
'art  and 
;  Search 
ent  Na- 
Jreasure. 
on  tli€> 


ery  i^ro- 
of  the 
whicli 
buried 

ons  to  a 
excite- 
of  the 

■eelings, 


the  way,  and  at  hearing  the  story  of  repeated 
failures.  Efforts  had  been  made,  as  they  now 
knew,  far  greater  than  any  which  were  possible  to 
their  feeble  arras;  and  in  every  case  the  money- 
diggers,  whether  digging  in  person  or  by  deputy, 
had  failed  utterly  and  miserably,  each  one  only 
learning  of  some  new  diflSculty  which  necessitated 
still  more  arduous  toils. 

As  the  landlord  strolled  off,  Bart  and  Pat  moved 
awa)''  also  up  the  hill  towards  the  back  part  of  the 
town  ;  and  here  they  sat  on  a  secluded  grassy 
slope,  looking  down  into  the  back  bay,  whose  blue 
waters  lay  at  their  feet. 

"  Sure  an  it's  a  great  thing  entirely,  so  it  is," 
said  Pat,  "  an  that's  all  about  it." 

"  I  hadn't  any  idea,"  said  Bart,  "  that  people 
knew  so  much  about  it.  I  didn't  imagine  that  any- 
body had  tried  to  dig  there." 

"  Sure  an  it's  natural  enough  for  them  to  do  that 
same,  if  they  thought  there  was  money  in  it." 

''  Of  course  it  was,  an  that's  the  very  thing  we 
haven't  been  taking  into  account." 

"  Faith,  an  that  same's  true  for  you,  thin ;  niver 
a  bit  did  we  take  it  into  account.  Haven't  we 
been  making  a  wonderful  secret  of  it,  when  all  the 
wurruld  knows  it  like  A,  B,  C." 

"  Yes,  and  what's  worse,  at  this  very  moment 
they  are  sending  out  agents  in  all  directions,  all 
over  the  province,  I  dare  say,  to  try  to  get  people 
to  take  stock  in  the  new  mining  company.     Why, 


I"..  \ 


::     i4 


\w^ 


110 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


every  body  must  know  all  about  Oak  Island.    I 
don't  see  how  wo  never  heard  of  it  before." 

"  Deed,  thin,  an  I  think  they  must  have  kept  it 
all  to  thimsolves  here  in  Chester,  so  I  do,  or  else 
we'd  have  heard  some  talk  about  it  at  school,  so 
we  would ;  an  if  there's  any  talk  about  it  now 
through  the  country,  it's  something  new  entirely, 
so  it  is,  and  is  the    doin  of  this   new   company. 


sure. 


J} 


"  I  don't  see  what  we  can  do,"  said  Bart,  in  a 
dejected  tone  ;  "  we  can't  do  a  single  thing." 

"  Sure,  thin,"  said  Pat,  "  but  it's  meself  that's 
been  thinkin  different :  an  I  don't  know  now  but 
what  the  chances  for  us  are  better  thin  they  were 
before." 

"  Chances  for  us  better?  What  in  the  world  do 
you  mean  by  that  ?  "asked  Bart,  in  surprise. 

*'  Sure  an  it's  plain  enough.  Ye  see  that  treas- 
ure was  a  hundred  feet  an  more  under  ground,  an 
so  it  was  clane  beyond  anything  that  we  could  do. 
But  these  companies  have  been  a  workin,  an  a 
diggin,  an  a  pnmpin,  an  a  borin  holes  all  about,  an 
we've  got  that  much  of  the  work  done." 

"  Yes,  but  what  good  '11  that  do  us?  These  holes 
weren't  any  good  to  the  companies.  They  couldn't 
get  to  the  money-hole,  after  all." 

"  Yis,  but  sure  an  may  be  they  didn't  go  to  work 
the  right  way." 

"  0, 1  dare  say  they  did  all  that  could  be  done ; 
and  I  don't  see  how  anybody  could  do  ar)y  more, 


A   CONVERSATION. 


Ill 


md.    I 

kept  it 

or  el?o 

liool,  so 

it  now 

jntirely, 

jmpany, 

art,  in  a 


If 


If  that's 
now  but 
ey  were 

vorlcl  do 
e. 

at  treas- 

3und,  an 

ould  do. 

,  an  a 

30ut,  an 


586  holes 
couldn't 

to  work 

Be  done ; 
y  more, 


except  they  get  a  steam  engine,  the  way  they  *re 
going  to  do." 

"0,  sure  an  that's  all  very  well ;  but  still,  whin  the 
holes  are  already  bored,  the  hardest  of  the  work's 
done ;  an  a  handy  bey  might  be  more  use  than  a 
stame  ingin,  so  he  miglit.  Sure  an  I'd  like  to  see 
meself  at  the  bottom  of  one  of  thim  pits  that's 
nearest  to  the  money-hole.  I'd  make  a  grab  for 
the  trisure,  so  I  would." 

"  Pooh,  nonsense  I     What  could  you  do  ?  " 

"  Sure  I'd  make  a  dash  for  it.  There's  nothin 
like  tryin.  Nothin  venture,  nothin  have.  I've  got 
a  notion  that  a  body  might  make  a  bit  of  a  tunnel 
in  under  there,  an  git  at  the  money-box.  At  any 
rate  it's  worth  tryin  for,  so  it  is.'* 

"  A  tunnel  1 "  exclaimed  Bart.  "  I  never  thought 
of  that.  Do  you  really  think  that  you  could 
doit?" 

"  Why  not  ?  "  said  Pat.  "  Sure  I've  seen  it  done. 
All  ye've  got  to  do  is  to  lave  an  archway,  an  there 
it  is.  It'll  howld  till  doomsday.  A  tunnel  is  it  ? 
Sure  I'd  like  to  see  meself  down  there  with  a  bit 
of  a  pick,  an  I'd  soon  have  the  tunnel.  An  be- 
sides, it's  only  blue  clay  I'd  have  to  work  in." 

"  So  it  is,"  said  Bart,  in  great  excitement.  "  He 
said  blue  clay.  It's  only  in  the  money-hole  where 
the  sand  and  gravel  are."  • 

"  An  blue  clay,"  said  Pat,  "  to  my  mind,  is  as 
aisy  cuttin  as  chalk  or  chaise.  It's  like  cuttin  into 
butther,  so  it  is.     Why,  there's  nothin  in  the  wide 


-'•'■  i 


i<! 


i  \ 


4 

i 


hi 


112 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


wurruld  to  hinder  you  an  me  from  goin  down  there 
an  tunnelin  through  the  blue  clay  from  the  nearest 
pit  straight  into  the  money-hole.'' 

"  But  what  can  we  do  about  the  water  rushing 
in  ?  "  asked  Bart. 

"  Sure  an  we  can  only  try/*  said  Pat.  "  If  wo 
can't  kape  the  water  out,  we'll  give  up.  But  we 
may  work  along  so  as  to  kape  clear  of  the  water." 

"  But  can  we  do  that?  "asked  Bart. 

"  Do  it?  "  said  Pat.  "  Sure  an  what's  to  hender 
us  ?  " 

"  The  other  workmen  couldn't,  you  know,"  said 
Bart. 

"I  don't  know  it,"  said  Pat,  "an  you  don't, 
either.  How  do  we  know  that  they  ever  tried? 
They  dug  the  pits  to  try  and  stop  the  drain ;  that's 
what  they  tried  to  do.  But  we're  a  goin  to  try  to 
tunnel  into  the  money-hole  ;  an  there's  all  the  dif- 
ference in  the  wurruld  between  the  two,  so  there 
is.  Besides,  there's  no  harrum  in  tryin.  If  we 
can't  do  it  we  can  come  back,  an  no  harrum  dorie." 

"Shall  we  tell  the  other  fellows?"  said  Bart, 
after  a  thoughtful  pause. 

"  Sorra  a  one  of  them,"  said  Pat.  "  Tell  them, 
is  it?  Not  me.  What  for?  Sure  only  two  can 
work  in  a  hole  at  a  time,  an  that's  me  an  you  ;  an 
what  do  we  want  of  any  more  ?  We'll  tell'  them 
after  we've  got  the  trisure ;  and  thin  we'll  all  go 
halves  all  around,  so  we  will ;  only  we'll  have  the 
glory  of  gettin  it,  an  no  harrum  done  to  anybody.'* 


A  TUNNEL  TO  THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS.      113 


,  there 
earest 


ashing 


'  If  wo 
3ut  we 
?vater." 

hender 


» 


said 


don't, 
tried? 
,  that's 
)  try  to 
the  dif. 
o  there 
If  we 
doiie." 
Bart, 

ll  them, 
wo  can 
|ou ;  an 
Ir  them 


"  Well,  it  isn't  a  bad  idea,"  said  Bart,  thought- 
fully. "The  other  fellows  needn't  know.  They 
haven't  heard  the  story,  and  perhaps  wont  hear  it ; 
at  any  rate,  not  before  to-morrow  ;  and  it's  a  crazy 
sort  of  an  undertaking,  and  mayn't  amount  to  any- 
thing ;  80,  as  you  say,  Pat,  it  may  be  best  for  us  to 
start  off,  us  two,  on  our  own  hooks,  and  'iivesti- 
gate.  My  idea  is,  for  us  to  get  off  there  in  a  quiet 
way,  land  on  Oak  Island,  and  look  around  to  see  if 
any  of  the  holes  are  suitable." 

"  Shuitable  I  "  said  Pat.  "  Sure  they'll  all  shuit, 
so  they  will,  if  they  ain't  full  of  water.  All  we 
want  is,  a  impty  pit,  within  aisy  an  accissible  dis- 
tance of  the  money-hole  for  us  to  tunnel." 

"  Well,  that's  what  we'll  have  to  find  out  first. 
But  when  can  we  go  ?  " 

"  To-morrow  morning,"  said  Pat,  "  airly." 

"  But  we're  going  to  Aspotogon,"  said  Bart. 

"  Sure  an  we  may  slip  off  an  let  the  others  go 
by  thimselves.  We'll  go  to  Oak  Island  at  four 
in  the  morrnin,  an '11  be  back  by  nine  or  tin  — 
about  the  time  when  they're  startin.  If  they  wait 
for  us,  all  right ;  we  may  go  with  them  there  or 
not,  just  as  it  shuits  lis;  that  depinds  on  the  pros- 
pects at  Oak  Island.  But  if  they  don't  wait  for 
us  it  won't  make  any  difference  in  the  wurruld, 
so  it  won't." 

After  some  further  conversation,  the  two  boys 
resolved  to  carry  out  this  proposal.  They  thought 
they  could  easily  leave  the  hotel  on  the  following 

8 


^ 

■jg 


■ft  < 


Mill"'! 


114 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


morning,  at  the  earliest  ligbt,  and  then  go  off  to  ex- 
plore Oak  Island  by  themselves.  The  others  would 
not  probably  start  for  Aspotogon  before  nine  or 
ten.  If  they  found  Oak  Island  affording  no  pros- 
pect of  success  in  their  plan,  they  could  easily  re- 
turn to  Chester,  in  time  to  start  for  Aspotogon 
with  the  others ;  while  if,  on  the  other  hand, 
they  did  see  any  chance  to  make  Pat's  tunnel,  they 
could  remain  there  and  go  to  work.  The  others 
would  probably  think  they  had  gone  fishing,  and 
set  off  without  them. 

The  proposal  of  Pat  was  a  wild  and  impractica- 
ble one,  but  to  Bart  it  seemed  easy  enough.  The 
thing  that  had  influenced  him  most  was  the  idea 
of  a  "  tunnel,"  of  which  Pat  spoke  so  knowingly. 
Without  having  any  very  distinct  conception  of 
the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a  "  tunnel,"  he  al- 
lowed himself  to  be  fascinated  by  the  very  men- 
tion of  it,  and  so  flung  himself  headlong  into  the 
scheme. 

Their  determination  to  keep  this  plan  a  secret 
from  the  others,  did  not,  of  course,  arise  out  of  any 
desire  to  forestall  them,  or  to  seize  for  themselves 
the  treasure  which  they  supposed  to  be  on  the 
inland.  It  was  rather  the  design  of  achieving  some 
exploit  which  should  astonish  their  friends.  It 
was  glory,  not  covetousness,  that  animated  them. 

In  this  frame  of  mind,  then,  and  with  this  pur- 
pose, they  returned  to  the  inn.  Nothing  was  said 
about  Oak  Island.     The  landlord  himself  did  not 


iff  to  ex- 
's would 
nine  or 
no  pros- 
asily  rc- 
potogon 
5r  hand, 
nel,they 
10  others 
ing,  and 

practica- 
;h.  The 
the  idea 
owingly. 
^tion  of 
"  he  al- 
ry  m^n- 
into  the 

a  secret 
t  of  any 
mseives 
on  the 
)g  some 
ids.  It 
them, 
his  pur- 
i^as  said 
did  not 


KEEPING  THEIR   OWN  COUNSEL. 


115 


refer  to  it.  Perhaps  he  had  talked  enough  about 
it  for  one  day,  and  was  tired  of  it;  or  perhaps  ho 
was  merely  husbanding  hi^  resources,  so  as  to  tell 
it  with  full  effect  on  the  following  day  to  those  of 
the  party  who  had  not  yet  hoard  it ;  for  when  a 
man  has  a  good  story,  and  meets  with  a  perfectly 
fresh  crowd  of  hearers,  ho  naturally  feels  unwill- 
ing to  throw  the  story  away,  and  prefers  to  tell  it 
under  the  best  possible  circumstances.  That 
evening  they  talked  chiefly  about  the  expcditioa 
to  Aspotogon.  Bruce,  Arthur,  Tom,  and  Phil  did 
the  talking.  Bart  and  Pat  were  comparatively 
silent.  The  first  four  said  nothing,  however,  about 
the  buccaneers,  for  they,  like  the  landlord,  were 
reserving  this  subject  for  the  following  day.  They 
also  had  all  conceived  the  idea  that  Aspotogon  was 
the  very  place  where  the  treasure  of  the  bucca- 
neers might  be  buried ;  and  this,  of  course,  threw 
additional  attractions  around  the  proposed  trip. 
Thj  name  seemed  suitable  to  such  a  deed.  It  was 
sonorous  and  impressive ;  and  to  them  it  seemed 
to  suggest  all  sorts  of  possible  crimes  and  trage- 
dies. Deep  Cove,  also,  was  a  name  not  without 
its  significance  ;  and  they  fancied  in  this  place 
they  might  find  the  hiding-place  of  the  old  pirates 
of  which  the  governor  of  Sable  Island  had  spoken. 
Before  retiring,  they  decided  that  they  w^ould 
not  start  till  nine  o'clock,  which  hour  would  be 
most  convenient  for  all,  especially  the  landlord, 
who  protested  against  getting  out  of  bed  at  any 


» 


i 


I' 


116 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


ii 


unusually  early  hour.  With  this  understanding 
they  all  retired. 

But  Bart  and  Pat  were  awake  and  up  before  the 
dawn.  Dressing  themselves  hastily,  they  quitted 
the  house  as  noiselessly  as  possible,  and  went  off 
to  the  promenade  or  square,  at  the  end  of  the 
town.  Here  a  number  of  boats  were  drawn  up 
on  the  beach.  At  that  early  hour  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  find  any  owner;  nor  did  Bart  or  Pat  feel 
inclined  to  stand  on  any  ceremony.  They  selected 
the  best  of  them,  and  thought  that  on  their  return 
they  might  apologize  to  the  owner,  whoever  he 
might  turn  out  to  be,  and  pay  him  for  the  use  of 
the  boat. 

The  question  now  was,  how  to  find  Oak  Island. 
That  the  island  was  somewhere  in  the  bay  on  this 
side  of  Chester  they  knew  from  what  the  landlord 
had  told  them,  but  which  particular  one  it  might 
be  among  the  hundreds  of  the  bay  they  could  not 
imagine.  The  knowledge  that  it  was  covered 
with  oaks,  was  the  only  guide  they  had ;  and  with 
this  they  set  forth,  hoping  to  find  the  object  of 
their  search.  There  was  a  sail  in  the  boat,  and  a 
pair  of  oars,  and  a  gentle  breeze  was  blowing ;  so 
they  hoisted  the  sail,  and  slipped  at  a  very  good 
pace  over  the  water.  On  their  way  they  passed 
several  islands.  One  of  these  had  farm-houses  on 
it ;  another  had  no  houses  at  all ;  but  still  they 
saw  nothing  of  those  oak  trees,  and  frames,  and 
pumps,  and  other  engines  which  marked  Oak 
Island. 


BART  AND  PAT  ON  THE  SEARCH. 


117 


itanding 

fore  the 
quitted 
vent  off 
I  of  tlie 
awn  up 
impossi- 
Pat  feel 
selected 
r  return 
ever  he 
3  use  of 

:  Island. 

'  on  this 

landlord 

t  might 

ould  not 

covered 

ind  with 

bject  of 

t,  and  a 

ving ;  so 

ry  good 

passed 

)use8  on 

■ill  they 

les,  and 

ed    Oak 


They  kept  on,  however,  sailing  past  some  islands, 
and  around  others,  until  more  than  an  hour  had 
passed,  and  they  both  concluded  that  i^  would  bo 
far  better  to  go  ashore  somewhere  and  ask  direc- 
tions. They  saw  a  house  not  far  away  on  the  main 
land,  and  at  onco  sailed  in  this  direction.  The  wind 
still  continued  very  moderate,  and  though  ncitlier 
Bart  nor  Pat  knew  much  about  navigating  a  boat, 
they  managed  to  get  along  in  this  breeze  without 
any  trouble  whatever. 

On  landing,  Pat  remained  in  the  boat,  while 
Bfirt  went  to  the  house  just  mentioned.  On  his 
way  he  crossed  the  high  road  which  here  runs 
along  the  shore,  winding  beautifully  around  every 
curve  and  inlet  as  it  encircles  the  bay.  Bart  had 
some  difficulty  in  rousing  the  people,  for  it  was  yet 
very  early  in  the  morning,  and  they  were  all  sound 
asleep.  At  last,  however,  he  heard  sounds  of 
movement  inside,  and  then  a  man  appeared,  half 
dressed,  and  rubbing  his  eyes. 

"  Good  morning,"  said  Bart,  pleasantly. 

"  Morn'n,'^  said  the  man,  with  a  yawn. 

•'  Can  you  tell  mo  where  I  can  find  Oak  Island  ?  " 

"  Oak  Island  ? ''  repeated  the  man,  stretching 
himself  with  another  yawn  and  looking  at  Bart, 
—  «  Oak  Island  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Bart ;  "  Oak  Island." 

"  Why,  you  ain't  a  trj^in  to  walk  there,  surely  !  " 
said  the  man,  in  some  surprise. 

"  0,  no,"  said  Bart ;  "  that's  my  boat  just  down 
there." 


lliiiiii 

Hi 


118 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE   SEAS. 


"  0,"  said  the  man.  "  Wal,  Oak  Islaiid^s  jest 
over  there  ; "  and  he  pointed  np  the  bay  farther, 
in  a  direction  which  Bart  had  not  taken  at  all. 
"  You  go  straight  up  about  two  miles  frcm  here, 
an  you'll  hit  it.  You  can't  mistake  it.  It's  a  little 
island  with  some  oak  trees  and  some  stagins." 

"There's  no  one  there  now,  I  suppose,"  said  Bart. 

"  No,"  said  tlie  man,  *'  not  jest  now.  They've 
knocked  off,  —  the  last  batch  did,  —  and  there  ain't 
likely  to  be  no  more  till  the  next  lot  of  Ibols  turns 
up  that's  got  more  money  than  brains." 

From  which  remark  Bart  gathered  that  the  man 
was  an  unbeliever. 

"  You  don't  seem  to  believe  in  Kidd's  treasure," 
said  he. 

"  Wal,"  said  the  man,  "  I  ain't  goin  to  say  that ; 
but  I'll  tell  you  what  I  don't  believe  in.  I  don't 
believe  in  people  a  throwin  of  their  money  away 
into  the  airth  an  into  the  sea  when  they  might  be 
doin  better  with  it.  Yes,  a  throwin  of  it  away, 
try  in  to  get  at  a  money-box  that's  out  of  the  power 
of  man  to  touch.  Yes,  sir  ;  flesh  and  blood  won't 
never  lay  hands  on  Kidd's  treasure — leastways 
not  unless  there's  a  sacrifice  made." 

"  A  sacrifice  !  "  repeated  Bart,  in  amazement. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  man.  "  It's  an  old  sayin  here- 
abouts, as  to  the  fact  as  that  that  thar  treasure 
bein  buried  there  with  the  sacrifice  of  human  life, 
is  laid  under  a  cuss,  and  the  cuss  can't  ever  be 
lifted,  nor  the  money-box  either,  till  some  of  the 


di 

sli 


Bj 


THE   pirates'   LSLE. 


119 


d^s  jest 
farther, 
1  at  all. 
m  here, 
j  a  little 

IS." 

id  Bart, 
rhey've 
jre  ain't 
Is  turns 

the  man 


jasnre," 

y  that ; 
I  don't 
y  away 
ight  be 
away, 
power 
i  won't 
,stways 

nt. 

n  here- 
'easure 
an  life, 
ver  be 
of  the 


diggers  kills  a  man.  That's  the  old  sayin  ;  an  mind 
you,  it'll  have  to  come  to  that.  Blood  must  be 
shed  I" 

The  man  uttered  these  last  words  in  a  deep 
tone,  that  suggested  all  sorts  of  superstitious  hor- 
rors ;  and  from  the  tenor  of  these  last  remarks, 
Bart  percoiveu  that  this  man,  far  from  being  an 
unbeliever,  as  he  had  at  first  supposed,  was  one 
of  the  firmest  possible  believers,  and  surrounded 
his  belief  with  the  accompaniments  of  the  darkest 
superstition.  To  Bart  this  only  served  to  inten- 
sify the  interest  which  ho  already  felt  in  Oak 
Island  ;  for  he  saw  that  the  people  of  the  neighbor- 
hood were  the  firmest  believers  in  the  existence 
of  the  treasure. 

A  few  more  questions  followed,  referring  chiefly 
to  the  appearance  of  the  island ;  and  having  at 
length  gathered  all  the  information  that  he  wanted, 
Bart  returned  to  the  boat,  and  once  more  the  two 
boys  proceeded  on  their  way.  The  place  towards 
which  the  man  liad  pointed  was  straight  before 
them,  and  every  little  while  grew  more  and  more 
plainly  defined  against  the  line  of  land  beyond, 
until  at  length  they  could  see  that  it  was  an  island. 
Nearer  and  nearer  they  drew,  and  gradually  they 
saw  the  oak  trees,  which  differed  from  the  trees 
of  the  other  islands.  The  trees  stood  apart  more 
like  a  grove  planted  by  man  than  a  forest  of 
nature's  planting.  Other  signs  soon  appeared  ;  a 
rough  hut,  some  stagings  in  different  places,  of 


17* 

{ 

^]i 

^It 

iff 

,!i; 

j^ 

ii 

f 

120 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


peculiar  construction,  and  here  and  there  mounds 
of  earth.  There  could  be  no  doubt  about  it. 
This  was  the  place  which  they  sought.  This  was 
the  home  of  the  buccaneers  ;  tlie  haunt  of  Captain 
Kidd ;  the  place  where  lay  buried  far  down  in  the 
earth,  and  far  beneath  the  sea,  the  plunder  of  the 
Soanish  Main ! 


Th 


ASHORE   ON  THE  ISLAND. 


121 


The  Isle  of  the  Pirates.  — The  Oaks  and  the  Mounds, 
—  A  Savvey.  —  The  flooded  Pits.  —  The  empty 
Pit.  —  The  Staying.  —  The  Money-hole.  —  The 
Hut  and  its  Contents.  —  Tlie  Stone  with  the  In- 
scription. —  Preparations  for  a  Descent,  —  The 
Pope  and  the  Beam.  —  Pafs  Plan  ivith  the  Pick- 
axe. —  Bart  goes  down.  —  All  right.  —  Come 
along.  —  Pat  goes  doion,  —  Terrific  Result, 
The  Sword  of  Damocles, 

>HB  bows  of  the  boat  grated  on  the  pebbled 
beach,  and  Bart  and  Pat  stepped  ashore. 
On  landing,  their  first  thought  was  to  se- 
cure the  boat.  This  was  not  a  difficult  task. 
Close  by  them  was  a  tree,  growing  near  the  beach, 
and  all  that  they  had  to  do  was  to  draw  the  boat 
up  for  a  short  distance,,  and  fasten  a  line  around  the 
tree.  After  this,  they  stood  by  the  boat  for  a  lit- 
tle while,  and  looked  at  the  island  upon  which 
they  had  landed. 

It  was  small,  not  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  across, 
and  rose  gently  from  the  sea  to  a  height  of  not 
more  than  thirty  feet.    Oak  trees,  planted  at  col- 


li,    si 


122 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


vv  m' 


siderable  intervals,  grew  over  the  surface,  none  of 
them  being  of  any  very  great  size.  Under  these 
there  was,  in  some  places,  a  thick  turf,  which 
looked  as  though  the  ground  had  once  been  culti- 
vated, and  had  run  out,  while  in  other  places  it 
was  rough,  and  rose  in  those  mossy  mounds  or 
cradles  whicli  characterize  soil  that  has  been 
cleared,  but  has  never  been  subject  to  cultivation. 

As  they  stood  here  and  looked  at  the  scene  be- 
fore them,  tliey  saw,  not  very  far  away,  a  mound  of 
earth.  They  had  seen  this  from  the  boat  as  they 
approaclied,  and  had  at  once  thought  that  it  might 
be  the  very  ground  removed  from  the  earth  in 
forming  one  of  the  numerous  pits.  In  digging 
these  pits  the  earth  would  bo  raised,  and  thrown 
on  one  side. 

"  Sure  that's  what  I  towld  ye,"  said  Pat.  "  Ye 
know  there  must  be  a  deep  hole  from  the  height 
of  it." 

"  Yes,"  said  Bart.  '*  There  must  be  a  hole  there. 
Come,  let's  have  a  look  at  it." 

With  those  words  the  two  started  forward,  and 
walked  towards  the  heap  of  earth.  As  they  came 
up,  they  noticed  that  the  soil  consisted  of  clay  of  a 
dull  bluish  tinge,  like  pale  slate,  and  they  recognized 
at  once  the  bluish  clay  of  which  the  landlord  had 
spoken.  The  heap  of  earth  was  of  considerable  di- 
mension^. They  both  walked  up  it,  and  on  reach- 
ing the  top,  they  saw  on  the  other  side  an  open- 
ing in  the  ground.      Hurrying  down  towards  it, 


THE  FLOODED   PITS. 


123 


none  of 
;r  these 
]  whicli 
;n  culti- 
Dlaces  it 
unds  or 
iS  been 
bivation. 
;eiie  be- 
ound  of 
as  they 
;  might 
arth  in 
digging 
thrown 


;.    "Ye 
height 

e  there. 

ird,  and 
jy  came 
lay  of  a 
Dgnized 
)rd  had 
•able  di- 
reach- 
1  open- 
ards  it, 


they  recognized  in  it  at  once  one  of  those  pits  made 
by  some  one  of  the  companies  digging  here.  The 
mouth  of  it  was  about  six  feet  long  and  four  feet 
wide.  The  sides  were  stayed  up  by  planks.  They 
could  not  see  far  down,  however,  for  the  pit  con- 
tained water,  which  came  to  within  a  dozen  feet  of 
the  surface.  How  deep  the  pit  was  they  could  not 
see  ;  but  they  at  once  conjectured  that  this  was  one 
of  those  pits  mentioned  by  the  landlord,  where  the 
diggers  in  search  of  the"  drain"  had  broken  into  it, 
and  had  thus  been  compelled  to  fly  from  the  waters 
that  poured  in  upon  them.  This  pit  was  flooded  (as 
the  landlord  had  said)  from  "  Kidd's  drain." 

After  examining  this  pit,  they  proceeded  farther, 
and  saw  another  mound  not  far  away.  It  was  just 
like  this,  of  about  the  same  dimensions,  and  con- 
sisting of  the  same  bluish  clay.  To  this  they  di- 
rected their  steps,  knowing  now  that  another  pit 
might  be  expected  here,  and  in  this  expectation 
they  were  not  disappointed.  There  was  a  pit  here 
of  precisely  the  same  appearance  as  the  one  which 
they  had  just  examined,  stayed  up  in  the  same  way 
around  the  sides  by  stout  planks,  and  of  about  the 
same  size.  Like  the  other,  it  was  also  full  of 
water.  Here  too,  then,  as  they  thought,  the  dig- 
gers had  broken  into  the  "  drain,"  and  had  flooded 
the  pit.  The  occurrence  of  these  two  pits,  both 
full  of  water,  showed  them,  in  a  very  striking  and 
very  significant  manner,  tiie  difficulties  that  those 
encountered  who  sought  to  penetrate  to  the  hid- 
den treasure. 


124 


THE   TREASURE  OF  THE   SEAS. 


But  the  boys  were  curious  to  see  some  pit  that 
might  not  be  full  of  water,  so  as  to  see  with  their 
own  eyes  the  depth  of  these  excavations.  The  land- 
lord had  mentioned  a  hundred  feet.  Such  a  depth 
as  that,  they  knew,  exceeded  the  height  of  an  ordi- 
nary church  spire,  and  they  both  wondered  whether 
it  would  be  possible  for  them  to  descend.  They, 
therefore,  turned  away  from  this  pit  after  a  slight 
examination,  and  looked  around  for  others. 

Several  mounds  appeared  not  very  far  away,  and 
they  at  once  went  oiF  to  the  nearest  of  these. 
Here,  then,  was  a  pit  which  was  also  flooded.  The 
sight  of  this  third  pit,  full  of  water,  made  them  fear 
that  this  was  the  condition  of  all  of  them,  and  their 
discouragement  was  consequently  great;  however, 
they  had  not  yet  examined  all,  and  two  or  three 
other  mounds  yet  remained  to  be  visited.  They 
went  on,  therefore,  to  the  next ;  and  here,  on  reach- 
ing the  pit  which  adjoined  it,  they  found,  to  their 
great  delight,  that  it  was  dry. 

Dry  and  deep.  The  hundred  feet  which  the 
landlord  had  spoken  of  seemed  to  be  a  moderate 
estimate  for  this  pit.  Its  length  and  width  at  the 
mouth  were  the  same  as  those  of  the  others ;  and 
the  staying  of  the  sides  with  stout  planks  was  the 
same.  On  looking  down,  they  could  see  no  bot- 
tom. Bart  took  a  stone  and  dropped  it,  and 
the  time  which  was  taken  up  in  the  fall  to  the  bot- 
tom seemed  to  fully  warrant  the  estimate  above 
mentioned.     But  such  a  pit  as  this  did  not  appear 


THE  MONEY-HOLE. 


125 


)it  that 
h  their 
le  land- 
i  depth 
m  ordi- 
whether 
They, 
slight 

ay,  and 

these. 

.     The 

3  m  fear 

d  their 

wever, 

three 

They 

reach- 

>  their 

?h  the 
derate 
at  the 
;  and 
as  the 
o  bot- 
k,  and 
e  bot- 
above 
ippear 


to  offer  much  chance  of  descending  into  it.  None 
of  the  pulleys  or  windlasses  which  must  once  have 
been  used  here  to  lower  the  workmen,  or  hoist  up 
the  earth,  now  remained.  The  planks  used  as  stay- 
ing were  over  an  inch  apart,  and  these  offered  oc- 
casional spaces  which  might  possibly  be  used  as  a 
foothold.  Still,  to  climb  down  here  without  some 
sort  of  a  rope  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  and  though 
Bart  and  Pat  were  both  excellent  climbers,  they 
both  saw  at  once  that  this  was  a  task  beyond  their 
powers.  And  they  had  not  brought  a  rope  with 
them. 

On  looking  around  once  more,  they  saw  at  no 
very  great  distance  a  staging,  which  at  once  re- 
minded them  of  the  directions  given  them  by  the 
man  on  the  shore,  and  also  of  the  words  of  the  land- 
lord. This  staging  they  had  also  noticed  as  they 
approached  the  island  in  the  boat.  They  now  set 
out  for  this,  and  reached  it  in  a  short  time.  This 
staging  was  about  the  highest  point  on  the  island, 
and  was  in  the  midst  of  an  immense  collection  of 
mounds  of  earth,  and  sand,  and  blue  clay.  As  they 
stood  here,  they  could  see  several  pits  around 
them ;  but  their  attention  was  at  once  arrested  by 
one  place  close  by  the  staging.  It  was  a  hollow  in 
the  earth,  shaped  like  a  bowl,  about  twenty  feet  in 
diameter,  and  perhaps  the  same  depth.  At  once 
the  landlord's  description  of  the  present  appear- 
ance  of  the  "  money-hole "  flashed  across  their 
memories. 


I' 


Lil'li 


126 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE   SEAS. 


This,  then,  must  be  the  place,  —  this  bowl-sliaped 
hollow.  There  could  be  no  doubt  about  it.  Tin's 
must  be  the  spot  chosen  by  the  buccaneers  for  that 
pit  in  which  they  were  to  hide  their  treasure. 
Here  beneath,  —  far  beneath,  —  lay  concealed  the 
plunder  of  the  Spanish  Main.  Here  was  that 
blasted  circular  spot,  with  the  blighted  tree,  and 
the  decayed  pulley,  which  had  revealed  the  secret 
to  the  first  diggers.  Here  those  two  had  worked 
who  had  so  nearly  reached  the  treasure,  and  this 
bowl-shaped  cavity  showed  them  what  appeared  to 
the  eyes  of  those  first  diggers,  when,  after  they  had 
just  touched  the  treasure,  they  went  forth  on  the 
following  morning  to  see  their  labor  destroyed,  and 
all  their  toil  wasted. 

Around  this  were  the  signs  of  other  labors,  and 
the  unmistakable  traces  of  all  the  toilers,  who  in 
succession  had  labored  here.  Some  pits  had  caved 
in,  like  the  original  "  money-hole."  Others  had 
filled  with  water.  The  sand,  gravel,  and  clay,  that 
had  been  drawn  up  out  of  these  various  excava- 
tions, covered  a  large  space.  Close  by  a  pit,  which 
lay  nearest  to  the  "money-hole,"  rose  the  staging 
which  had  attracted  them.  On  examining  this,  its 
purpose  was  at  once  evident.  It  was  erected  so 
as  to  allow  of  the  working  of  pumps  by  horse-power. 
The  circle  was  there  which  the  horses  traversed. 
and  all  the  machinery  was  in  perfect  order.  They 
understood  the  purpose  of  this  machine  at  once 
from  the  landlord's  story.    It  had  been  intended  to 


THE   HUT  AND   ITS  CONTENTS. 


127 


•sliapefl 
.  This 
for  that 
easure. 
led  the 
as  that 
•ee,  and 
>  secret 
worked 
.nd  tliia 
3ared  to 
hey  had 
on  the 
^^ed,  and 

ors,  and 
who  in 
id  caved 
ers  had 
ay,  that 
excava- 
:.,  which 
staging 
this,  its 
cted  so 
5-powei'. 
iversed. 
They 
at  once 
inded  to 


reach  the  bottom  of  the  "  money-hole  "  by  a  new  pit, 
and  this  pit  was  to  be  kept  dry  by  pumping.  The 
pit  must  evidently  be  the  one  which  immediately 
•adjoined  the  "money-hole."  But  how  completely  tl)is 
[)lan  had  failed,  was  now  evident  to  them  from  this 
pit  itself,  which,  like  the  others  that  they  had  first 
seen,  was  full  of  water.  This  pit  had  proved  of  no 
avail  against  "  Kidd's  drain."  Horse-power  had 
been  weak  against  the  tides  of  the  sea.  Here  was 
the  melancholy  result  —  a  failure  complete  and  ut- 
ter; a  pit  flooded;  engines  useless;  costly  works 
deserted.  Would  the  attempt  ever  be  made  again? 
or  if  so,  would  steam  succeed  when  pitted  against 
the  waters  of  the  ocean  ? 

They  went  down  into  the  bowl-shaped  cavity 
which  marked  the  "money-hole,"  —  they  did  so 
cautiously,  for  they  had  vague  fears  of  quicksand. 
But  their  fears  were  idle.  The  ground  seemed  as 
bard  and  as  solid  as  on  any  other  part  of  the  island. 
They  stood  there,  and  stamped,  and  jumped,  but 
the  firm  soil  yielded  not.  They  could  scarcely  be- 
lieve that  this  was  the  very  central  point  affected  by 
the  waters  of  the  sea.  And  yet  this  must  be  so, 
for  this  was  the  point  to  which  the  '*  drain  "  had 
been  directed,  and  far  down  the  waters  guarded 
the  treasure  from  the  hand  of  man. 

After  remaining  here  for  a  time,  they  emerged 
from  the  cavity,  and  their  attention  was  next  at- 
tracted by  a  hut  not  far  away.  To  this  they  di- 
rected their  steps.   Thev  found  the  door  wi 


ley 


open, 


wm 


P  'ill 


ff!'.;'"iH 


128 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


and  entered.  Inside  they  saw  two  rooms  divided 
by  a  board  partition,  with  a  chimney  rising  in  the 
middle.  This  had  been  the  place  where  the  work- 
men lived,  for  signs  of  these  occupants  were  still 
visible  around.  The  two  rooms  were  filled  with 
spades,  and  chains,  and  boxes,  and  a  miscellaneous 
collection  of  articles  that  had  probably  been  used 
by  the  last  excavators,  and  had  been  left  here  in 
anticipation  of  further  use.  Among  these  they 
saw  a  quantity  of  ropes  in  coils  of  difTerent  sizes; 
and  they  saw  at  once  that  if  they  wished  to  go 
down  into  any  one  of  the  pits,  a  way  of  descending 
was  now  supplied. 

•  The  chimney  at  once  suggested  to  their  minds 
the  remarks  of  the  landlord  about  the  stone  with 
the  inscription.  To  the  boys  that  stone  seemed 
the  most  important  part  of  the  whole  story,  and 
offered  a  more  direct  evidence  as  to  its  truth  than 
anything  else.  They  wished  to  see  it,  and  judge 
for  themselves.  They  accordingly  examined  the 
chimney  on  every  side,  but,  to  their  very  great  dis- 
appointment, could  not  see  anything  of  the  kind. 
At  length  Bart  found  a  place  in  the  chimney  from 
which  a  portion  seemed  to  have  been  detached,  and 
he  at  once  declared  that  this  must  have  been  the 
place  where  the  stone  was,  and  that  it  had  proba- 
bly been  taken  away,  so  as  to  be  made  use  of  for 
the  purpose  of  affecting  the  public  mind,  and  in- 
ducing people  to  take  stock  in  the  new  company. 
The  sight  of  the  ropes  at  once  awakened  within 


(i 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   DESCENT. 


129 


divided 
r  in  tho 
iie  work- 
ero  still 
ed  with 
illaneous 
sen  used 
here  in 
sse  they 
it  sizes; 
)d  to  go 
scending 

lir  minds 
;one  with 
seemed 
tory,  and 
nth  than 
id  judge 
ined  the 
ecreat  dis* 
he  kind, 
ney  from 
ihed,  and 
been  the 
,d  proba- 
se  of  for 
I,  and  in- 
■mpany. 
d  within 


them  a  desire  to  put  in  practice  their  intention  of 
descending  into  one  of  tho  pits.  It  did  not  seem 
to  them  to  be  dangerous.  Bart  was  as  active  as  a 
cat  in  climbing,  especially  when  he  had  anything 
,to  do  with  ropes ;  while  Pat,  though  not  equal  to 
liiin  in  this  respect,  was  still  quite  able  to  do  any 
ordinary  work  of  tho  kind.  One  of  the  pits,  as 
they  had  seen,  was  dry,  but  it  was  a  little  too  far 
away.  They  wished  to  find  one  which  was  rather 
nearer  the  "  money-hole,"  where  there  might  be 
some  chance  of  putting  into  practice  Pat's  idea 
about  the  tunnel.  No  thought  of  danger  entered 
into  their  minds,  no  dread  of  the  treacherous 
waters  which  had  broken  through  into  the  other 
holes,  and  flooded  them.  They  prepared  to  put 
their  scheme  into  execution  as  calmly  as  if  it  was 
no  more  than  climbing  a  tree. 

But  first  they  must  seek  a  pit  nearer  the 
"  money-hole  ;  "  and  with  this  intention  they  went 
back  to  that  central  spot,  whore  they  examined  the 
pits  in  its  neighborhood.  To  their  great  joy  they 
soon  found  one.  It  was  on  the  side  opposite  to 
that  where  the  staging  had  been  erected,  and  was 
quite  dry.  This  they  knew  by  dropping  stones 
down,  and  listening  to  the  sound  made  when  they 
struck.  All  of  them  fell  with  a  dull  thud,  and 
without  any  splashing  noise,  such  as  would  have 
been  produced  had  water  been  there. 

This  at  once  decided  them  in  favor  of  the  pit 
just  mentioned  ;  and  the  next  thing  was,  how  to 
9 


130 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


arrange  the  rope  so  as  to  make  the  descent.  One 
could  not  lower  the  other ;  and  if  such  a  thing  had 
been  possible,  neither  one  would  have  been  willing 
to  stay  up.  There  was  therefore  nothing  for  them 
to  do  but  to  adopt  the  simple  plan  of  climbing  down 
by  means  of  a  rope  secured  to  the  top.  First  of  all 
they  had  to  select  the  rope.  This  they  did  without 
much  delay.  Among  the  various  coils  in  the  hut, 
one  seemed  suitable  from  size  and  quality.  It  had 
been  used,  like  all  the  others  ;  it  seemed  perfectly 
strong  enough  ;  and  it  was  also  sufficiently  soft  and 
smooth  to  the  hands.  This  coil  was  therefore 
selected  and  brought  to  the  place.  A  stone  was 
quickly  attached  to  one  end,  and  was  thrown  down. 
The  rope  fell  all  the  way  to  the  bottom  without 
being  more  than  half  expended.  The  rest  of  the 
coil  lay  at  the  edge  of  the  pit. 

And  now  how  were  they  to  secure  this,  so  as  to 
descend?  Something  was  needed  which  might 
bear  their  weight.  At  first  they  thought  of  tying 
the  upper  part  of  the  rope  to  one  of  the  planks 
which  formed  the  staying  of  the  sides  of  the  pit ; 
but  this  did  not  seem  strong  enough.  They  then 
went  off  to  hunt  up  something.  In  the  house  there 
was  a  crowbar,  which  was  strong  enough,  yet  not 
long  enough,  to  satisfy  them.  But  outside  of  the 
house  there  was  a  large  beam,  fnlly  twelve  feet 
long  and  eight  inches  thick.  This  seemed  to  be 
the  very  thing.  It  was  apparently  sound  and 
strong,  and,  as  far  as  they  could  see,  was  quite 


pat's  plan  with  the  pickaxe. 


131 


t.  One 
ling  had 
1  willing 
"or  them 
ig  down 
•st  of  all 
without 
:he  hut, 
It  had 
erfectly 
soft  and 
iierefore 
one  was 
n  down, 
without 
t  of  the 

so  as  to 
1  might 
Df  tying 
5  planks 
the  pit; 
ey  then 
se  there 
yet  not 
3  of  the 
Ive  feet 
d  to  he 
ind  and 
IS  quite 


able  to  support  ten  times  the  weight  to  which  it 
would  be  subjected.  This  beam  therefore  was 
chosen  without  the  slightest  hesitation,  and  Bart 
and  Pat,  taking  it  up  in  their  arms,  carried  it  to 
the  mouth  of  the  pit ;  then  they  laid  it  across,  and 
tied  the  rope  about  it  as  securely  as  possible. 

All  now  seemed  perfectly  safe,  and  nothing  re- 
mained but  to  make  the  descent.  Bart  went  first. 
The  planks  used  for  staying  around  the  sides  of 
tho  pit  were  far  enough  apart  to  offer  here  and 
there  interstices  in  w^iich  the  feet  might  be  in- 
serted, though  in  many  of  these  places  the  earth 
bulged  through  so  as  to  prevent  a  foothold.  They 
thus  afforded  assistance;  and  Bart,  as  he  began 
his  descent,  availed  himself  of  it.  As  he  went 
down,  Pat  watched  him  anxiously  from  above.  Be- 
fore his  head  had  disappeared,  he  said, — 

"  0,  by  the  way,  Pat  I  throw  down  that  pickaxe." 

For  Pat  had  brought  a  pickaxe  from  the  hut,  in 
order  to  make  his  tunnel ;  and  it  was  now  lying  on 
the  ground,  close  by. 

"  Sure,  but  I  was  goin  to  wait  till  you  got 
down." 

"  What !  and  throw  it  on  my  head  I   No,  thank 


11 


you 

"  Sure  an  I  niver  thought  of  that  at  all  at  ill," 
said  Pat ;  "  and  it's  lucky  for  you  that  you  thought 
of  it  just  now." 

With  these  words  Pat  dropped  the  pickaxe  into 
the  pit,  and  it  fell  with  a  dull  thud  far  down  at  the 
bottom. 


132 


THE  TREASURE   OP   THE  SEAS. 


•-:  r ' 


I 


Bart  now  continued  his  descent,  and  Pat  watched 
him  all  the  way.  At  length  a  voice  came  up  from 
far  below,  — 

"  All  right !    Come  along  ! " 

Upon  this  Pat  descended,  and  went  down  cau- 
tiously and  carefully,  clinging  with  feet  and  hands 
to  the  rope  and  to  the  sides  of  the  pit.  He  was 
not  so  dexterous  as  Bart,  and  once  or  twice  he 
lost  his  foothold  on  the  side  of  the  pit,  and  slid  for 
several  feet,  the  rope  cutting  hi;  hands ;  but  still 
he  kept  on,  for  Bart  was  waiting  for  him,  and  en- 
couraging him.  1. 

At  length,  when  about  thirty  feet  from  the  bot- 
tom, where  Bart  was  standing,  he  found  a  place 
where  he  could  stick  his  foot,  and  waited  for  a  mo- 
ment to  look  down  through  the  darkness.  He 
could  see  nothing.  As  he  looked,  his  foot  slipped 
from  the  place,  and  lie  fell  with  a  jerk,  the  rope 
sliding  painfully  through  his  chafed  'lands.  At 
that  very  instant  it  seemed  to  him  tL  il  ^he  rope 
itself  was  falling.  From  above  there  came  a  dull 
creaking  sound,  and  from  below  a  cry  of  horror 
burst  from  Bart.  At  that  instant,  Pat's  f  c  ot  touched 
the  bottom  of  the  pit. 

Bart  grasped  his  arm  convulsively,  and  pointed 
upward. 

"  The  beam  I  the  beam ! "  he  almost  screamed. 
"  It^s  broke.     0,  what  shall  we  do  1 " 

Pat  looked  up ;  and  there,  clearly  defined  against 
the  sky,  he  saw  the  beam  around  which  the  rope 


T 


i^atched 
ip  from 


vn  cau- 
1  hands 
He  was 
'^ice  he 
slid  for 
)ut  still 
and  en- 
■  ' » 
;he  bot- 
a  place 
)r  a  mo- 
ss. He 
slipped 
le  rope 
s.  At 
10  rope 
a  dull 
horror 
ouched 

pointed 

earned. 

^igainst 
e  rope 


^ 


Bart  and  Pat  in  the  Pit.  Page  132. 


m  "i| 


THE  SWORD   OE  DAMOCLES. 


133 


was  fastened,  no  longer  lying  straight  across  the 
mouth  of  the  pit,  but  sagging  down  in  the  middle 
at  a  sharp  angle.  It  had  been  rotten  in  the  mid- 
dle. It  had  cracked  at  that  last  jerk  occasioned  by 
his  fall  from  his  foothold  ;  and  it  now  hung  broken 
midway,  still  clinging  together  by  a  few  fibres,  but 
suspended  there  above  them,  like  the  sword  of 
Damocles,  as  if  by  a  single  hair,  and  threatening 
every  instant  to  fall  and  crush  them. 

The  rope  and  the  beam  had  both  been  rotten, 
and  the  jerk  which  had  been  given  when  Pat  lost 
his  foothold  had  cracked  the  one  and  broken  the 
other.  There,  about  thirty  feet  above  them,  hung 
the  end  of  the  rope  where  it  had  parted.  The  rest 
of  it  was  still  in  Fat's  hands. 


H 


134 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


XI. 

The  missing  Ones. —  Wiat  has  become  of  them?  — 
Theories  about  Bart  and  Fat.  —  The  Decision,  — 
A  new  Disappointment,  and  a  very  serious  one. 

—  A  bad  Substitute.  —  The  Voyage  to  Aspotogon. 

—  The  mysterious  Cove. —  A  romantic  Spot. — 
Picturesque  Scenery.  —  Speculations  about  the 
Buccaneers.  —  The  very  Place.  —  The  Knoll.  — 
New  Themes.  —  The  Mound  over  the  Treasure  of 
the  Seas. — Plans  to  get  at  said  Treasure. — A  most 
unpleasant  Discovery.  —  Their  Plans  knocked  in 
the  Head.  —  New  Plans^  by  which  to  avoid  all 
Difficulties, 

-  * 

^HE  other  boys  rose  that  morning  at  the 
usual  hour,  and  descended  leisurely  to 
breakfast.  The  absence  of  Bart  and  Pat 
was  noticed  and  commented  on.  It  was  supposed, 
however,  that  they  had  gone  off  somewhere  to  get 
up  an  appetite  for  breakfast,  and  that  they  would 
be  along  before  the  meal  was  over.  Time  passed, 
and  the  breakfast  was  ended ;  but  still  no  signs 
appeared  of  the  absentees.  It  was  now  nearly 
time  to  start,  and  they  all  strolled  down   to  the 


i:ll 


WHERE   ARE  THE  MISSING   ONES? 


135 


them  ?  — 

oision.  — 
ious  one. 
spotogon. 
Spot.  — 
bout  the 
Knoll.  — 
lasure  of 
—A  most 
locked  in 
woid  all 


at  the 
I  rely  to 
and  Pat 
ipposed, 
e  to  get 
y  would 
passed, 
10  signs 
'  nearly 

to  the 


wharf  where  the  Antelope  was,  thinking  that  the 
two  boys  might  possibly  bo  there.  On  reaching 
the  place  they  looked  around,  but  saw  no  signs  of 
them.  Captain  Corbet  had  not  seen  them,  nor  had 
Solomon.  Everything  was  ready,  and  it  was  only 
a  few  minutes  of  the  time. 

"  It's  queer  where  those  fellows  can  have  gone 
to,"  said  Bruce. 

*•  They've  gone  on  a  "walk,  of  course,"  said  Ar- 
thur; "and  I  dare  say  they've  gone  farther  than 
they  intended." 

"  0,  they'll  be  along  soon,"  said  Phil ;  and  won't 
they  be  half  starved  ?     Methinks  !  " 

"It's  a  strange  thing,"  said  Tom,  "that  they 
should  have  slipped  off  in  this  way.  No  one  knows 
anvthinix  about  them.  No  one  at  the  inn  saw 
them  go  out.  They  must  have  got  up  precious 
early." 

"  Well,  they're  both  rather  early  risers,"  said 
Arthur  ;  "  and  they  may  have  gone  off  fishing." 

"  I  dare  say  they  have,"  said  Bruce.  "  Bart  is 
crazy  about  fishing,  and  if  he  has  got  one  solitary, 
bite,  he'll  give  up  the  expedition  to  Aspotogon." 

"And  Pat's  as  bad,  every  bit,"  said  Phil.  "  De- 
pend upon  it,  those  two  have  gone  out  to  catch 
fish  for  breakfast,  and  won't  be  back  till  somewhere 
about  evening." 

"  For  my  part,"  said  Tom,  "  I  shouldn't  wonder 
if  they've  both  backed  out  deliberately." 

''  Backed  out  ?  " 


m 


«<( 


Bidi 


136 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


in  Hill 


"  Yes.  I  don't  believe  they  cared  about  going 
to  Aspotogon." 

"  Pooh  !  nonsense  I  What  makes  yon  think  that  ?  " 

"  Why,  last  evening  I  noticed  that  they  didn't  say 
a  single  word.  Both  of  those  fellows  were  as  mun 
as  mice,  and  all  the  rest  of  us  were  in  full  cr^ 
about  the  expedition.  Depend  upon  it,  they  didn't 
want  to  go,  and  have  backed  out.  They  didn't  want 
to  say  anything  about  it,  for  fear  we'd  tease  them 
to  come,  but  quietly  dropped  off,  leaving  us  to 
go  without  them.  0,  that's  the  way,  beyond  a 
doubt." 

"  Now  that  vou  mention  it,  Tom,"  said  Phil,  "  I  do 
remember  that  they  didn't  say  anything  last  night, 
neither  of  them." 

"  Neither  did  they,"  said  Arthur. 

"  Fact,"  said  Bruce ;  "  it  looks  very  much  as  if 
they  had  talked  the  matter  over,  and  concluded  to 
back  out  in  this  quiet  way ;  and  I  don't  know  but 
what  they  have  concocted  some  scheme  of  their 


11 


own. 

"  0,  some  fishing  scheme,  of  course.  Bart  was 
crazy  about  it,  you  know,  and  he's  persuaded  Pat 
to  go  with  him." 

"  Well,  in  that  case  we  needn't  wait." 

"0,  we  may  as  well  hang  on  till  ten  —  in  case 
they  should  turn  up  after  all." 

Such  was  the  opinion,  then,  to  which  the  other 
boys  came,  about  the  disappearance  of  Bart  and 
Pat.    It  was  a  perfectly  natural  one  under  the 


c 
a] 

tl 

cJ 
h 

PI 
t( 


t  goin 


g 


that  ?  " 
Jn't  sa)) 
as  mun 
uU  cr^ 
r  didn't 
H  want 
e  them 
;  us  to 
^ond  a 

,  "Ido 
1  night, 


h  as  if 
ded  to 
>w  but 
their 

t  was 
Pat 


I  case 

other 
;  and 
•  the 


THEORIES  ABOUT  BART  AND   PAT. 


137 


circumstances.  Bart  and  Patwei3  distinguished 
above  all  things  for  their  fondness  for  fishing; 
their  silence  during  the  conversation  of  the  pre- 
ceding evening  really  made  it  seem  as  though  they 
had  no  desire  to  go  to  Aspotogon,  but  had  some 
plan  of  their  own.  This  plan  seemed  to  the  boys 
to  be  undoubtedly  a  fishing  expedition.  There 
was,  therefore,  not  the  slightest  feeling  of  uneasi- 
ness in  the  mind  of  any  of  them,  nor  did  even 
Captain  Corbet,  who  had  listened  to  the  conversa- 
tion, imagine  that  there  was  any  cause  for  alarm. 
To  have  imagined  danger  to  them  in  such  a  place 
as  this,  on  dry  ground,  in  a  civilized  country,  was 
out  of  the  question.  Notwithstanding  this  convic- 
tion, they  thought  it  possible,  however,  that  the  two 
might  yet  return  in  time,  and  therefore  they  de- 
cided to  wait  for  them  till  ten. 

The  conversation  about  Bart  and  Pat  was  sud- 
denly interrupted  by  the  appearance  of  the  land- 
lord, who  brought  them  another  disappointment. 
He  told  them  that  important  business  had  most 
unexpectedly  required  him  to  go  up  the  country 
for  twenty  miles  or  so,  and  that  ho  should  not  be 
able  to  accompany  them.  He  expressed  the  great- 
est possible  regret,  and  the  boys  expressed  still 
more.  They  at  once  offered  to  postpone  their  ex- 
pedition till  the  following  day;  but  the  landlord 
was  not  certain  whether  he  should  be  back  by  that 
time  or  not,  and  adviaed  them  to  go  without  him. 
He  said  a  friend  of  his  would  go,  who  knew  the 


n 


!■-  r 


138 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


whole  country,  and  could  tell  them  all  that  they 
wanted  to  know  about  it. 

Great  was  the  disappointment  of  the  boys  at  this 
unexpected  occurrence.  They  had  particularly 
wished  to  have  the  landlord's  company,  for  reasons 
already  stated.  He  was  so  genial,  so  communica- 
tive, and  so  destitute  of  inquisitiveness,  that  he 
seemed  the  very  man  whom  they  might  be  able  to 
pump  to  their  hearts'  content,  without  making  their 
purpose  apparent  to  him.  One  great  charm  of 
the  expedition  lay  in  their  belief  that  Aspotogon 
and  Deep  Cove  had  been  the  haunts  of  the  bucca- 
neers, and  that  the  landlord  would  show  them  the 
traditionary  place  where  the  treasure  had  been 
deposited.  They  did  not  think  that  another  man 
could  supply  his  place ;  and  when,  shortly  after,  the 
landlord  brought  his  friend  along,  they  were  sure 
of  it.  For  the  friend,  whoso  name  the  landlord 
gave  as  Turnbull,  was  a  heavy,  dull-looking  man, 
and  the  last  in  the  world  whom  they  would  have 
chosen  in  the  landlord's  place.  However,  there 
was  no  help  for  it.  It  was  useless  to  postpone  it, 
and,  consequently,  at  ten  o'clock  the  Antelope 
started  on  her  voyage. 

On  emerging  from  the  little  harbor  of  Chester 
into  the  bay,  the  scene  that  presented  itself  was 
beautiful  in  the  extreme.  Much  of  it  was  familiar 
to  their  eyes,  owing  to  their  previous  cruise 
about  the  bay  on  the  first  day  of  their  arrival ;  but 
they  now  saw  it  under  a  somewhat  different  aspect. 


DISAPPOJNTMENT. 


139 


hat  they 

yfi  at  this 
'ticuhvrly 
r  reasons 
nmunica- 

that  he 
e  able  to 
ing  their 
harm  of 
i?potogon 
le  bucca- 
hem  the 
ad   been 
lier  man 
fter,  the 
jre  sure 
landlord 
3g  man, 
Id  have 
',  there 
pone  it, 

ntelope 

Chester 
elf  was 
familiar 
cruise 
alj  but 
aspect. 


On  one  side  arose  an  island,  bare  of  trees,  and 
covered  with  grass,  of  no  great  size,  but  conspicu- 
ous from  its  position.  In  its  neighborhood  Avere 
other  islands,  some  all  wooded  from  the  shore  to 
the  summit,  others  showing  green  meadows  peep- 
ing forth  from  encircling  foliage.  Before  them 
spread  the  shores  of  Tancook,  all  green  with  ver- 
dure, dotted  with  white  houses,  and  showing,  here 
and  there,  the  darker  hue  of  forest  trees,  amid  the 
green,  grassy  meadows.  Beyond  this,  and  far  out 
to  sea,  was  Ironbound,  which,  from  this  distance, 
looked  dark  and  repellent.  It  was  more  wooded 
than  the  other  islands,  and  did  not  seem  popular  as 
a  dwelling-place.  Naturally  so,  for  at  that  distance 
out,  it  was  exposed  to  the  storms  and  the  fogs  of 
the  ocean,  while  those  islands  within  the  bay  were 
in  the  possession  of  a  far  more  genial  soil  and 
climate.  On  the  left,  the  coast-line  ran  on  beyond 
a  neighboring  point,  till  it  terminated  in  a  distant 
headland ;  and  here,  on  that  line  of  coast,  several 
miles  this  side  of  the  headland,  the  land  arose  to  a 
wooded  eminence,  which  was  no  other  than  the 
very  place  which  they  were  seeking  —  Aspotogon. 
The  boys  were  disappointed,  for  they  had  ex- 
pected something  much  higher.  It  did  not  seem 
to  them  to  be  more  than  a  very  ordinary  hill,  nor 
did  it  rise  very  high  above  the  level  of  the  sur- 
rounding land.  Still,  they  were  willing  to  be 
pleased,  and  therefore  tried  to  think  that  it  might 
really  be  much  higher  than  it  seemed. 


•■■i 


'V 


A 


:|,!llTi7? 


m{ 


140 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


The  line  of  coast  ran  on,  showing  cleared  fields 
along  the  shore,  which,  farther  back,  were  suc- 
ceeded by  wooded  slopes.  In  this  line  of  shore 
there  did  not  appear  the  slightest  opening,  nor 
could  they  imagine  how  it  was  possible  for  a 
schooner  to  reach  the  base  of  Aspotogon.  That 
there  was  a  passage,  however,  they  were  again  and 
again  assured  by  Turnbull,  who,  though  not  at  all  in- 
clined to  give  any  information,  was  yet  capable  of 
answering  direct  questions,  and  telling  the  names 
of  places.  The  existence  of  a  cove,  or  strait,  in 
such  a  place,  where  there  see  i  nothing  but  an 
unbroken  line  of  coast,  gave  auuiuonal  strength  to 
that  fancy  in  which  the  boys  had  already  been  in- 
dulging, and  made  them  think  that  this  place,  so 
completely  hidden,  must  be,  above  all  others,  the 
place  once  chosen  as  a  secure  retreat  by  the  buc- 
caneers. This  feeling  gained  strength  as  they 
went  on.  The  distance  was  not  far.  The  wind 
was  fair.  Tho  Antelope  did  her  best,  and  so  they 
gradually  drew  nearer  and  nearer.  Still,  no  sign 
appeared  of  any  opening,  nor  could  they  make  out 
any  place  where  an  opening  might  be  likely  to  be 
found.  At  last  Turnbull  remarked  that  this  was 
the  place,  and  that  the  Antelope  would  have  to 
anchor  here,  as  it  would  be  inconvenient,  in  this 
wind,  to  get  out  of  Deep  Cove  if  they  were  to 
enter  it  in  the  schooner.  Down  went  the  Ante- 
lope's anchor,  and  the  boat  was  hauled  up  along- 
side. 


ai 


DEEP  COVE. 


141 


d  fields 
jro  8UC- 
f  shore 
Dg,  nor 
5  for  a 
.  That 
!iin  and 
it  all  in- 
able  of 

names 
rait,  in 

but  an 
figth  to 
een  in- 
!ace,  so 
rs,  the 
e  buc- 
3  they 
3  wind 
o  they 
0  sign 
ke  out 
'  to  be 
is  was 
ive  to 
n  this 
ere  to 

Ante- 
along- 


They  were  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  shore.  Deep  Cove  was  there, —  for  so 
Turnbull  said, — and  they  were  about  to  visit  it,  yet 
there  was  still  no  more  appearance  of  any  openii.  g 
than  before.  The  shore  seemed  to  run  on  withou.' 
any  break,  and  the  boys  sought  in  vain  to  find  some 
place  into  which  a  boat  might  go ;  but  the  boat 
was  ready,  and  this  mystery  was  soon  to  bo 
solved. 

They  drew  very  near  to  the  shore  before  the 
long-sought-for  oijouing  appeared.  The  opening 
was  at  such  an  angle  that  it  could  not  be  detected 
from  the  direction  in  which  they  had  approached, 
and  the  curve  madf*  by  the  cove  was  of  such  a 
kind  that  it  was  difficult  to  detect  it  from  any 
direction.  On  entering  it  they  saw  that  it  was 
deep  and  spacious,  with  the  shore  on  one  side 
covered  with  forest  trees,  and  on  the  other  side 
cleared.  Rowing  on  a  little  farther,  the  cove 
curved,  and  the  cleared  land  was  left  behind.  Now 
a  scene  of  grandeur  appeared.  The  cove  ran  be- 
tween lofty  heights,  which  bordered  it,  now  with 
precipitous  rocky  cliff's,  now  with  steep  slopes, 
heavily  wooded.  After  rowing  a  few  hundred 
yards,  it  seemed  as  though  they  were  shut  out 
from  all  the  world.  Behind  and  before  there  was 
a  circle  of  hills,  and  they  seemed  to  be  rather  upon 
the  bosom  of  some  sequestered  lake  than  upon  an 
inlet  of  the  sea  close  by  the  waters  of  the  stormy 
Atlantic. 


ij  ' '"'"! 


142 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


They  still  moved  on,  and  as  they  advanced,  the 
scenery  retained  the  same  general  features,  pos- 
sessing an  air  of  wild  and  romantic  grandeur  of  the 
most  striking  description.  At  length  they  camo 
to  a  place  where  the  cove  widened  into  a  smooth 
basin,  surrounded  by  an  amphitheatre  of  hills. 
The  water  was  as  smooth  as  glass,  and  as  black  as 
ink.  This,  they  were  informed,  was  the  head  of 
the  cove ;  and  straight  in  front  of  them  was  the 
base  of  Aspotogon,  which  was  bathed  by  these 
waters.  The  boat  approached  a  grassy  knoll  close 
by  this,  and  the  boys  all  got  out. 

Here,  then,  the  mystery  was  solved,  for  they 
had  come  up  by  this  passage-way  to  Aspotogon 
itself.  Close  beside  them  there  was  a  steep  de- 
clivity, bare  of  trees  just  here,  and  covered  with 
stones.  Far  up  trees  began,  and  hid  the  summit 
of  the  hill. 

The  picturesque  beauty  of  this  place,  the  deep, 
black  water,  the  high,  encircling  hills,  the  sombre, 
primeval  forests,  the  utter  seclusion,  all  produced 
a  profound  impression  upon  the  minds  of  the  boys, 
who  always  were  alive  to  the  beauties  of  nature, 
and  who  here  had  something  in  addition  to  natural 
beauty.  For  their  thoughts  turned  at  once  to  thac 
which  had  been  for  days  the  supreme  subject  in 
their  minds  —  the  treasure  of  the  buccaneers. 
Was  not  this  the  haunt  of  the  pirates  spoken  of  by 
the  governor  of  Sable  Island.  They  all  felt  sure 
that  it  must  be.    No  better  place  than  this  could  be 


A  ROMANTIC   SPOT. 


143 


ced,  the 
res,  pos- 
ir  of  the 
iy  camo 
smooth 
of  hills, 
black  as 
head  of 
was  the 
y  these 
oil  close 

■or  they 
potogon 
:eep  de- 
ed with 
summit 

e  deep, 
sombre, 
oduced 
le  boys, 
nature, 
natural 
to  thdC 
)ject  in 
aneers. 
n  of  by 
It  sure 
ould  be 


I 


found  in  all  the  world.  Here  was  a  hiding-place 
without  a  parallel.  Here  a  vessel  might  pass  from 
the  outer  seas  into  absolute  seclusion,  and  find  a 
haven  safe  from  all  storms,  shut  in  by  higii  hills. 
Here,  too,  was  a  place  to  bury  their  treasure,  if 
such  was  their  desire ;  and,  if  the  governor  of 
Sable  Island  had  spoken  tlie  truth,  the  place  best 
fitted  to  receive  the  pirate's  deposit  must  be  the 
very  knoll  on  which  they  were  standing. 

Here  it  was,  on  this  spot,  that  they  regretted 
most  deeply  the  absence  of  the  landlord.  It  was 
this  knoll,  above  all  things,  that  seemed  to  them  to 
contain  the  plunder  of  the  Spanish  Main,  and  they 
felt  sure  that,  if  the  landlord  had  been  here,  ho 
would  have  told  them  all  about  it,  and  confirmed 
their  suspicions.  But  he  w^as  not  here,  and  his 
substitute  Turnbull  was  of  no  use  whatever.  He 
either  could  or  would  tell  them  nothing.  He 
would  only  answer  in  monosyllables,  and  the  boys, 
after  a  fruitless  effort  to  draw  him  out  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Deep  Cove  and  its  local  traditions,  gave  up 
the  task  in  despair.  They  could  only  console  them- 
selves by  the  thought  that  they  could  pump  the 
landlord  on  their  return  to  Chester,  and  then,  if 
their  suspicions  were  confirmed,  t!'cy  could  visit 
the  place  ngain,  and  dig  for  the  buried  treasure. 

And  what  a  glorious  place  it  was  to  dig,  if  this 
indeed  was  the  place  which  they  supposed  it  to  be  ! 
How  completely  shut  out  it  was  from  all  observa- 
tion.   Here  they  might  dig  to  their  hearts'  content, 


144 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


and  nobody  would  know  it.  Perhaps  the  treasure 
was  not  very  far  down.  The  knoll  rose  not  more 
than  ten  feet  or  so  above  the  sea.  Some  of  them, 
indeed,  thought  that  the  whole  knoll  was  the  work 
of  the  pirates,  and  was  neither  more  nor  less  than 
the  mound  of  earth  with  which  they  had  covered 
up  their  treasure.  This  view  was  even  more 
charming  than  the  other,  and  they  went  about  it 
on  every  side,  examining  it  all  over,  and  scrutiniz- 
ing it  most  care  felly. 

Suddenly  Tom  made  a  discovery  of  a  very  un- 
pleasant character.  As  he  wandered  about,  he 
found  himself,  all  at  once,  upon  a  regular  carriage 
road.  It  was  not  a  first-class  road  by  any  means, 
but  it  was  a  road  for  wheeled  vehicles,  and,  from 
its  appearance,  was  evidently  in  constant  use. 
The  sight  of  this  created  at  once  a  deep  disap- 
pointment, in  which  all  the  others  shared  as  soon 
as  they  saw  it.  They  found  that  the  seclusion  of 
the  place  was  broken  up.  To  dig  for  gold  here,  by 
the  side  of  a  public  road,  would  be  a  difficult  mat- 
ter, and  a  very  different  thing  from  what  they  had 
at  first  supposed.  So  completely  had  their  minds 
been  impressed  by  the  apparent  seclusion  of  Deep 
Cove,  that  they  had  forgotten  all  about  the  houses 
and  settlements  which  they  had  »een,  only  a  short 
time  before,  on  the  outer  coast.  Yet  these  settle- 
ments were  only  a  little  distance  away,  and  this 
was,  no  doubt,  the  road  that  joined  them  together, 
which  had  to  make  the  circuit  of  Deep  Cove,  in 
order  to  efiect  a  connection. 


SPECULATIONS  ABOUT  THE  BUCCANEERS.   145 


treasure 
ot  more 
)f  them, 
lie  work 
ss  than 
covered 
n  more 
ibout  it 
irutiniz- 

ery  un- 
out,  ho 
carriage 

means, 
id,  from 
nt  use. 
)  disap- 
18  soon 
sion  of 
ere,  by 
lit  mat- 
ey had 

minds 
f  Deep 
houses 
a  short 

settle- 
id  this 

ether, 
ove,  in 


The  boys  now  seated  themselves  ipart,  out  of 
hearing  of  Turnbull,  in  order  to  discuss  the  sit- 
uation. 

"  There  can't  be  any  doubt,"  said  Tom,  "  that 
this  is  the  mound  made  by  the  pirates  to  cover  up 
their  treasure.  They  didn't  dig  a  hole,  but  covered 
up  the  treasure  by  piling  earth  over  it."  .    ,   ,, 

"  That's  about  it,"  said  Phil ;  "  and  what's  more, 
I  dcn't  believe  that  we'll  have  to  go  very  far 
down,  either." 

*'  I  wonder  if  any  one  has  ever  tried  it,"  said 
Arthur. 

«  I  don't  believe  it,"  said  Tom.  "  There  isn't 
the  slightest  mark  on  the  place." 

*'But  wouldn't  people  have  tried  it,  if  it  is  really 
the  place  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  they  don't  know  the  actual  place ; 
and  we  may  be  the  first  who  ever  suspected  this 
mound.     It  isn't  impossible." 

"  No ;  it  may  be  that  the  people  here  are  too 
dull;  or  it  may  be  just  a  happy  guess  of  ours, 
which  has  never  occurred  to  any  one  else." 

'•  And  this  miserable  road  here,"  said  Tom,  dole- 
full}'-,  "  is  going  to  spoil  all." 

"  I  wonder  if  w^  couldn't  manage  to  dig,  in 
spite  of  the  road." 

«  How  ?  " 

*'  Why,  we  might  stick  up  the  sail  of  the  Ante- 
lope, and  make  a  big  tent,  and  pretend  to  be  fish- 
ing, or  roughing  if 
10 


J 


^r-f-* 


lfe">''i 


S-r 


ft 


mi. 


Illll 


t^mm  I ! 


146 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


"  Well,  there  raay  be  something  in  that." 

"  Something  I  Of  course  there's  everything  in 
that.  I  call  it  a  good  idea,  and  the  only  way  we 
can  go  about  it." 

"  But  wouldn't  we  be  bothered  with  visitors  ?  " 

"  No ;  certainly  not ;  or,  at  any  rate,  they  couldn't 
get  in." 

"  They^d  see  the  earth  thrown  up." 

"  0,  we  wouldn't  throw  up  much.  I  don't  be- 
lieve we'd  have  to  dig  far,  and  we  could  put  up 
both  sails,  so  as  to  cover  up  everything.  Some  of 
us  could  watch,  to  give  notice  to  the  diggers  to 
knock  off  in  case  any  one  passed  by." 

"  Well,  it's  not  a  bad  idea ;  and  it's  the  only 
thing  we  can  do.     So  it's  worth  trying." 

"  Yes ;  but  there's  one  thing  first." 

«  What's  that  ?  " 

'•  Why,  we'll  have  to  talk  with  the  landlord,  and 
see  if  we  can  find  out  from  him  what  the  probabili- 
ties are  about  this  place  being  really  the  resort  of 
the  old  buccaneers." 


THE  ASCENT  OF  ASPOTOGON. 


147 


thing  in 
way  we 

tors  ?  " 
couldn't 


XII. 


lon*t  be- 

put  up 

Some  of 

ggers  to 

the  only 


ord,  and 
robabili- 
esort  of 


The  Ascent  of  Aspotogon.  —  Slippery  Slopes,  — 
Treacherous  Stones.  —  Tangled  Thickets.  — A 
great  Disappointment.  —  Disgust  of  the  Parti/. 

—  A  refreshing  Bath.  —  Exploring  a  Cave.  — 
WJiere  are  the  Buccaneers?  —  In  the  Water. — 

—  An  Alarm.  —  A  terrible  Monster,  —  Fright  and 
Flight.  —  Sauve  qui  peuti —  The  Monster  in 
Pursuit.  —  The  Agonies  of  Death,  —  Bruce 
ashore.  — He  turns  to  give  Help.  —  The  others  safe, 

—  Tom  ytt  in  Danger.  —  The  abhorrent  Sight, 

iHE  boys  at  lerjth  had  exhausted  all  their 
powers  of  examination,  speculation,  and 
conversation,  and  began  to  look  about  for 
something  to  do.  It  was  not  yet  the  appropriate 
time  to  dig  into  what  they  now  all  called  the 
"  mound,"  though  that  would  have  been  the  most 
agreeable  thing  in  the  world  in  their  present  frame 
of  mind  ;  so  they  had  to  think  of  some  other  form 
of  active  exercise.  Phil  suggef.ted  that  they 
should  climb  Aspotogon,  and  the  suggestion  was 
at  once  welcomed.  Here  they  were  at  its  base. 
They  had  come  to  visit  it,  and  they  could  not  be 


\^u 


•\  ,1 


3  V 
1 


r 


148 


THE  TREASURli  OP  THS  SEAS. 


said  to  have  done  it,  unless  they  should  also  reach 
its  summit.  So  no  sooner  was  the  suggestion 
made  than  they  all  prepared  to  put  it  in  execu- 
tion. 

The  place  which  they  chose  for  the  ascent  was 
that  open  spot  already  mentioned.  Other  places 
were  overgrown  with  a  thick  forest,  with  under- 
brush, and  fallen  tree  .  The  ascent  was  somewhat 
difficult.  The  slope  was  steef),  and  was  covered 
with  loose  stones  that  slid  at  every  step.  At  first, 
one  went  behind  the  other,  but  alter  a  few  paces 
they  found  that  this  could  only  be  done  at  the  im- 
minent risk  of  their  precious  limbs,  for  the  stones 
dislodged  by  the  foremost  climber  invariably 
rolled  down  upon  the  one  following.  They  there- 
fore avoided  going  behind  any  other  of  the  party, 
and  climbed  up  abreast.  At  length  the  slope  of 
sliding  stones  was  traversed,  and  they  reached  a 
place  which  was  covered  with  the  primeval  forest. 
Here  the  ascent  was,  if  possible,  even  more  toil- 
some. There  was  a  thick  underbrush  through 
which  they  had  to  force  their  way  by  a  process 
which  made  their  undeniably  shabby  clothes  even 
more  shabby ;  the  ground  was  very  irregular,  now 
sinking  into  holes,  again  rising  into  low  mounds ; 
while  at  intervals  they  would  encounter  some 
fallen  tree,  over  which  they  had  to  climb,  or  else 
crawl  beneath  it.  Such  were  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  their  ascent. 

These,  however,  were  all  happily  «urmoupted, 


A  GREAT  DISAPPOINTMENT. 


149 


so  reach 
ggestion 
n  execu- 

3ent  was 
iY  places 
ti  under- 
Dmewhat 
covered 
At  first, 
;w  paces 
t  the  im- 
le  stones 
I  variably 
ey  there- 
le  party, 
slope  of 
eached  a 
al  forest, 
lore  toil- 
through 
process 
les  even 
liar,  now 
mounds; 
er  some 
),  or  else 
es  in  the 

noucted, 


and  the  whole  party  at  last  stood  on  the  sum- 
mit of  Aspotogon.  Here  a  deep  disappointment 
awaited  them.  They  had  taken  for  granted  that 
they  would  be  rewarded  by  an  extensive  view. 
They  hoped  to  overlook  the  whole  of  Mahone  Bay, 
to  count  its  three  hundred  and  sixtv-five  islands, 
to  see  the  windings  of  Deep  Cove,  and  speculate 
upon  the  operations  of  the  buccaneers.  But 
instead  of  this  they  saw  —  nothing.  For  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill  was  all  overgrown  with  trees,  which 
shut  out  the  whole  view.  Such  a  reward  fo/  so 
much  toil  excited  the  deepest  disgust. 

"  And  this  is  Aspotogon  !  "  cried  Bruce.  **  Why, 
it's  a  complete  sham." 

"  Talk  of  this  place  in  comparison  with  Blom- 
idon  !  '*  said  Arthur.  "  Why,  it's  sacrilege.  This 
place  is  only  a  thicket." 

"  What  nonsens'3  to  call  it  a  mountain  !  "  said 
Tom.  "I  don't  believe  it's  over  a  couple  of  hun- 
dred feet  or  so.  I  know  it's  ten  times  harder  to 
^;o  up  Blomidon." 

"  Aspotogon's  a  humbug,"  said  Phil.  "  What  do 
they  mean  by  saying  it's  the  highest  land  in  Nova 
Scotia?  It's  the  most  ridiculous  nonsense  I  ever 
heard  in  my  life.  Besides,  as  '  Blomidon —  why, 
the  view  from  that  is  the  finest  in  America.  And 
whnt  is  there  hero?     A  parcel  of  scrubby  trees  !  " 

Such  being  the  sentiments  of  the  climbers,  it  is 
no  wonder  that  they  did  not  linger  long  on  the 
summit.     There  was  nothing  to  keep  them  there  j 


150 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


SO  they  soon  descended.  The  way  down,  however, 
was  even  worse  than  the  way  up,  especially  when 
they  reached  the  loose  stones.  For  here  the 
stones  slid  from  under  their  feet  at  every  step,  and 
it  was  almost  impossible  to  stand  upright.  Tom 
and  Phil  both  went  down,  and  a  score  of  big  stones 
rolled  about  them,  and  over  them,  bruising  and 
scratching  them ;  while  before  them  a  whole  cart- 
load of  cobble  stones  and  granite  boulders  went 
bounding  down  towards  the  cove.  The  boys  tried 
it  a  little  way,  and  then  took  to  the  trees,  where 
they  completed  the  descent. 

On  reaching  the  knoll  once  more,  they  all  felt 
tired  and  hot.  Phil  proposed  a  bath,  and  the  pro- 
posal was  most  agreeable  to  all.  In  a  few  moments 
their  clothes  were  off  and  they  were  all  in  the 
water. 

The  water  was  pleasantly  warm.  They  had  not 
had  a  bathe  for  some  time,  and  here  it  seemed  the 
perfection  of  bathing.  There  was  no  surf;  the 
water  was  as  smooth  as  glass,  and  gave  the  quiet 
of  a  lake  with  the  salt  water  of  the  sea.  Phil  was 
the  best  swimmer  of  them  all,  and  struck  out 
boldly  to  cross  the  cove.  The  others  followed. 
On  reaching  the  middle,  Phil  turned  oif  in  another 
direction,  to  a  point  on  the  shore  where  he  saw  a 
curious  rock  that  looked  like  a  cave. 

"  Boys,"  ho  cried, "  there's  a  cave  ;  let's  go  and 
see  it." 

He  swam  on,  and  the  others  followed.    They  soon 


IN  THE  WATER. 


161 


ii  I 


lowever, 
lly  when 
lere  the 
step,  and 
It.  Tom 
ig  stones 
sing  and 
lole  cart- 
ers went 
oys  tried 
s,  where 

y  all  felt 
the  pro- 
moments 
11  in  the 

had  not 
!med  the 
urf;  the 
he  quiet 
Phil  was 
•uck  out 
bllowed. 

another 
le  saw  a 

1  go  and 

ley  soon 


reached  the  place,  and  climbed  up  over  the  rough 
rock,  to  see  what  they  supposed  to  be  the  cave. 
To  their  disappointment,  it  was  not  a  cave  at  all, 
but  only  a  slight  recess  of  no  depth  in  particular. 

"  I  thought  we  might  find  some  traces  of  the 
buccaneers,"  said  Phil,  in  a  tone  of  vexation. 
"  We're  not  in  luck  to-day." 

"  0,  yes,  we  are,"  said  Tom,  cheerfully.  "  The 
discovery  of  that  mound  is  a  good  deal." 

"  Yes ;  but  then  there's  that  public  road,"  said 
Bruce. 

"0,  we'll  work  it  yet.  Only  wait  till  we  get 
our  tent  up." 

Once  more  the  boys  plunged  in  the  water,  and 
played,  and  sported,  and  dived,  and  floateJ,  and 
swam  this  way  and  that  way  ;  now  on  their  backs, 
and  again  in  their  natural  positions.  At  length 
they  began  to  feel  tired,  and  directed  their  course 
towards  the  shore. 

Tom  w^as  last,  swimming  along  leisurely  enough, 
and  thinking  about  the  mound  and  its  hidden  treas- 
ure, —  as  were  all  tue  other  bo3^s,  —  when  suddenly 
he  became  awe.  e  of  a  movement  in  the  water 
hehind  him,  as  of  some  living  thing  swimming.  It 
was  not  any  of  the  boys.  They  were  all  ahead ; 
and  it  could  not  be  Turnbull.  It  was  not  a  man 
at  all. 

In  an  instant  a  terrible  thought  came  to  him, 
that  sent  a  pang  of  dreadful  anguish  through  his 
inmost  soul. 


I 


i! 


152 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


A  shark  I 

That  was  the  thought  that  flashed  into  Tom^s 
mind. 

Hastily  and  fearfully  he  turned  his  head,  dread- 
ing the  worst.  One  glance  was  enough.  That 
glance  froze  his  very  life-blood  with  utter  horror. 

There,  not  more  than  six  or  eight  yards  away, 
he  saw  a  black  muzzle  on  the  surface  of  the  water, 
pointing  straight  towards  himself,  —  a  muzzle  nar- 
row, and  black,  and  horrible.  Tom  had  never  seen 
a  shark ;  but  he  had  read  of  them,  and  had  seen 
pictures  of  them.  One  look  was  enough  to  con- 
vince him  that  this  was  a  shark,  who  had  scented 
them  from  afar,  perhaps  from  the  outer  sea,  and 
was  now  about  to  seize  his  prey. 

His  brain  whirled,  and  all  the  scene  for  an 
instant  swam  before  his  eyes.  A  half  dozen  yards  I 
Could  he  hope  to  escape  ?  Impossible  !  Yet,  out 
of  utter  despair,  there  came  to  him  the  strength 
of  a  giant.  He  struck  out  with  frantic  and  fren- 
zied vehemence,  shouting  and  screaming  to  the 
other  boys,  — 

"  A  shark  !  a  shark  !  a  slia-a-a-a-a-a-a-ark  !  1 1 " 

The  other  boys  heard  his  yells.  They  looked 
around  and  saw  all  —  the  gliastly  face  and  staring 
eyes  of  Tom,  with  the  horror  of  his  expression, 
and  beyond  —  the  black  muzzle.  At  that  sight, 
there  seized  them  all  a  terror  eqnal  to  that  of  Tom. 
In  any  other  position  they  would  have  sprung 
to  his  help.     But  what  help  was  possible  here? 


sp 

CO 

Stl 

T 


FRIGHT  AND  FLIGHT. 


153 


;o  Tom's 

fl,  dread- 
1.  That 
horror. 
3s  away, 
e  water, 
zzle  Dar- 
ker seen 
lad  seen 
to  con- 
scented 
5ea,  and 

for  an 

yards  I 

fet,  out 

trength 

id  fVen- 

to  the 

h" 

looked 
staring 
'ession, 

sight, 
)f'  Tom. 
sprung 

here  ? 


None.  They  were  naked.  Tliey  were  unarmed. 
They  were  in  the  water.  Helpless  thus,  and  de- 
spairing, there  was  nothing  which  any  one  of  them 
could  do,  but  to  swim  blindly  on.  It  was  an  in- 
stinct of  self-preservation  that  animated  them  all. 
They  fled  as  they  Avould  have  fled  from  an  earth- 
quake, or  a  roaring  torrent  —  blindly  —  in  frantic 
haste. 

Not  one  word  more  was  uttered.  Not  a  sound 
was  heard  except  the  plashing  noise  of  their  move- 
ments through  the  water,  and  the  heavy  pantinga 
of  the  exhausted  swimmers.  Still,  tliough  ex- 
hausted, not  one  of  them  dared  to  slacken  his 
efforts.  Not  one  of  them  dared  to  look  around. 
In  Tom's  mind  there  was  the  chilling  horror  of 
the  monster  behind,  and  a  curdling  dread  of  that 
moment  when  he  would  be  seized.  In  the  minds 
of  the  others  there  was  an  equal  horror  of  expec- 
tation, as  they  listened  to  hear  the  yell  from  Tom, 
which  might  announce  that  all  was  over. 

Thus  they  hurried  on. 

Tom,  in  his  anguish,  thought  of  something  that 
he  had  once  read  of  about  sharks.  He  had  read 
that  the  shark  is  cowardly,  raid  is  kept  off  by 
splashing  in  the  water  —  at  least  for  a  time  ;  just 
as  a  wild  beast  is  deterred  by  a  fire,  or  a  horse  is 
scared  by  a  log  at  the  road-side.  At  this  thought 
he  grasped.  It  was  his  only  hope.  As  he  swam, 
he  plashed  in  the  water,  with  all  his  force,  with 
arms  and  legs,  making  it  boil  and  foam  all  around 


I  ■  i 


154 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


him.  This  retarded  his  progress  Bomewhat ;  but  at 
any  rate,  it  seemed  to  prolong  his  safety,  for  the 
monster  did  not  seoin  inclined  to  draw  nearer. 
'  The  moments  passed  on.  They  were  not  far 
from  land,  —  yet,  0,  how  far  that  distance  seemed 
to  each  despairing  swimmer  1  Upon  their  distance 
what  issues  depended  !  0,  that  they  had  thought 
of  the  danger  in  time,  or  had  seen  it  a  little  while 
before  1 

The  moments  passed  on  —  moments  terrible,  full 
of  sickening  anguish,  of  horror  intolerable  I  How 
long  those  moments  seemed  I  To  Tom  each 
moment  was  prolonged  to  the  duration  of  an 
age,  and  an  age  of  hideous  expectation  —  ex- 
pectation of  a  doom  so  frightful,  so  abhorrent, 
that  every  nerve  tingled,  and  every  fibre  of  his 
body  quivered.  And  there,  through  the  noise  of 
the  spla. '  ings  made  by  his  own  efforts,  he  could 
plainl}''  distinguish  the  movements  of  the  monster 
behind.  It  did  not  seem  nearer,  but  it  was  near 
enough  to  seize  him  at  any  moment.  Why  did  the 
monster  delay  ?  Was  it  his  splashings  which  de- 
terred it?  Tom  hoped  so,  and  thrust  the  water 
aside  with  greater  energy. 

And  now  he  could  hear  the  movement  of  the 
monster  a  little  towards  his  right.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  his  pursuer  was  about  to  close  with  him, 
to  attack  him  from  another  quarter.  He  remem- 
bered reading  somewhere  that  sharks  swim  around 
their  prey  before  seizing  it.     This  movement,  he 


tl 
ei 
al 


SAUVE  QUI   PEUT. 


155 


at ;  but  at 
Jf  for  the 

Jarer. 

e  not  far 

e  seemed 
r  distance 
i  thought 
ttle  while 

•rible,  full 
lel  How 
om  eacli 
on  of  an 
on  —  ex- 
bhorrent, 
re  of  his 
noise  of 
be  could 
monster 
was  near 
'  did  the 
^hich  de- 
le water 

fc  of  the 
emed  to 
ith  him, 
remem- 
around 
lent,  he 


thought,  was  for  that  purpose.  Every  moment  he 
expected  to  see  the  dread  form  of  that  pursuer 
appearing  between  him  and  Phil,  who  was  nearest. 
But  he  dared  not  look  to  assure  himself  There 
was  too  much  horror  in  the  awful  sight.  He  dared 
not  turn  his  head  to  look  behind ;  he  dared  not 
turn  his  eyes  even  to  one  side.  He  could  only 
keep  them  fixed,  with  a  wide  stare,  upon  vacancy, 
straight  before  him. 

The  moments  passed  jn,  —  the  awful  moments, 
each  of  which  threatens  death,  when  the  delay  of 
the  impending  doom  fills  the  soul  with  awful  sus- 
pense ;  still  the  monster  hesitated  to  seize  his 
prey.  Still  Tom's  ears  x-ang  with  the  noise  of  his 
pursuei.  Still  the  other  boys,  as  though  their 
tongues,  were  frozen  into  silence,  hurried  to  the 
shore.  Still  they  waited,  expecting  every  instant, 
to  hear  the  terrible  shriek  which  should  announce 
the  awful  doom  of  Tom.  But  the  doom  was  still 
delayed,  and  still  Tom  waited,  and  still  the  others 
listened.  So  they  all  hastened,  till  each  one's 
heart  seemed  almost  ready  to  burst,  through  the 
frenzied  energy  of  his  efforts,  and  the  intensity  of 
his  emotions.  And  there,  behind  them  all,  —  a 
little  on  Tom's  right,  —  the  black  muzzle  advanced 
over  the  surface  of  the  water. 

In  that  desperate  struggle,  vrhen  they  made  such 
frantic  efforts  to  reach  the  shore,  Bruce  happened 
to  be  first.  The  shore  to  which  they  were  swim- 
ming was  that  which  happened  to  be  nearest ;  not 


1% 

1: 


1 

-.4 


!*■    '  '■'■' 


156 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


I 


the  grassy  knoll  before  mentioned,  but  a  beach 
covered  with  gravel,  which  was  intermixed  with 
larger  stones.  Bushes  grew  close  down  to  this 
beach,  and  beyond  these  was  that  road  which  had 
so  disgusted  the  boys. 

At  this  place  Bruce  first  arrived.  His  feet 
touched  bottom.  No  sooner  did  he  feel  the  solid 
ground  under  his  feet,  than  all  his  panic  left  him, 
all  his  courage  returned,  and  his  presence  of  mind. 
Tom's  expected  death-yell  had  not  yet  burst  upon 
his  ear;  not  yet  had  his  shriek  announced  the 
grar^p  of  the  monster.  There  might  yet  be  time 
to  save.  In  an  instant  he  had  thought  of  what 
he  should  do.  Plunging  through  the  water,  and 
bounding  forward,  he  soon  reached  the  beach ;  and 
then,  stooping  down,  he  hastily  gathered  several 
large  stones.  Then  he  turned,  and  rushing  back  a 
few  steps,  stood  with  uplifted  arm,  taking  aim, 
and  preparing  to  hurl  these  stones  at  the  monster. 
At  that  very  moment  Arthur  reached  the  place, 
and  turned  to  look  back,  standing  close  by  Bruce. 
Phil  was  now  only  a  few  yards  away,  swimming 
in,  with  horror  yet  stamped  upon  his  face.  Beyond 
him  was  Tom,  swimming,  kicking,  plunging,  rolling, 
dashing  the  water  in  all  directions,  and  making  as 
much  commotion  as:  w^ould  have  satisfied  an  ordi- 
nary whale.  As  Tom  thus  swam  on,  his  despairing 
glance  caught  sight  of  the  forms  of  Bruce  and 
Arthur.  There  they  stood,  up  to  their  waists  in 
water  —  Bruce  with  uplifted  arm,  holding  an  enor- 


m( 
ini 

th 

stJ 
hoi 

WJ 

m^ 
la: 
stJ 
AV 
so 


157 


a  beach 
xed  with 
1  to  this 
hich  had 

His  feet 
the  soh'd 
left  him, 
of  mind. 
I'st  upon 
ced  the 
be  time 
of  what 
ter,  and 
oh ;  and 
several 
:  back  a 
tig  aim, 
lonster. 
!  place, 
Bruce, 
mming 
Beyond 
rolh'ng, 
fing  as 
n  ordi- 
)aijing 
'e  and 
isty  in 
I  enor- 


r 

I  THE  MONSTER  IN  PURSUIT. 

nious  stone,  which  he  was  about  to  throw  —  while 
in  his  other  hand  were  several  more  stones.  Ar- 
thur stood  by  his  side. 

Tom  devoured  them  with  his  eyes ;  and  he 
struggled  on,  wondering,  yet  scarcely  daring  tO 
hope —  wondering  whether  the  stone  which  Bruce 
was  preparing  to  throw  would  drive  back  tlic 
monster.  To  him  it  seemed  that  Bruce  was  de- 
laying for  an  unaccountable  time.  Why  did  he 
stand  idle,  when  every  moment  was  so  precious? 
AVhy  did  he  delay  to  throw  ?  Wiiy  did  he  not  do 
something  ?  Why  did  he  stand  there  as  if  rooted 
to  the  spot,  doing  nothing  ?  Was  there  some  new 
horror  ?  Were  the  monster's  jaws  already  opened 
to  seize  his  prey? 

Tom  would  have  cried  to  Bruce  to  throw,  but 
he  could  not  speak.  Not  a  sound  could  he  utter. 
The  thought  came  to  him  that  Bruce  was  afraid 
to  throw,  for  fear  that  the  stono  might  strike  him 
instead  of  the  shark.  What  matter  ?  Far  better 
to  throw,  and  run  the  risk.  This  he  would  have 
said,  but  lie  could  not  in  that  paralysis  of  horror. 

Suddenly  a  frown  came  over  Bruce's  face  — 
which  frown  as  suddenly  faded  away,  and  was 
succeeded  by  a  blank  look,  accompanied  by  an  in- 
describable expression.  The  same  changes  passed 
over  Arthur's  face.  Tom  saw  it  all,  in  his  despair, 
and  was  bewildered.  What  was  this  ?  Were  they 
deserting  him  ?  Would  they  give  him  up  ?  Im- 
possible ! 


il  I 


f4 


158 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


m. 


Yet  it  seemed  as  if  they  would.  For  suddenly 
Bruce's  uplifted  arm  descended,  and  the  stones  all 
dropped  into  the  water.  The  blank  look  upon  his 
face  was  succeeded  bv  one  of  astonishment,  which 
faded  away  into  various  expressions,  which  suc- 
cessively indicated  all  the  varying  shades  of  vex- 
ation, shame,  and  sheepishness.  Arthur's  face 
was  equally  eloquent.  Had  not  Tom's  feelings  so 
pre-occupied  him,  he  might  have  found  a  study  in 
those  two  faces ;  but  as  it  was,  he  was  not  in  a 
position  to  think  of  such  a  thing;  for  these  looks 
anjji  gestures  only  served  to  inspire  him  with 
greater  alarm. 

"They  can  do  nothing,"  he  thought;  and  tho 
thought  brought  to  his  soul  a  bitterness  as  of 
death. 

At  this  moment  Phil's  feet  touched  bottom.  He 
rushed  up  to  Bruce  and  Arthur,  and  turned,  as  they 
had  turned,  to  look  back. 

And  at  the  same  moment  the  abhorrent  sight 
appeared  to  Tom  —  of  the  black  muzzle  shootinc: 
througii  the  water  close  by  his  right  shoulder.  In- 
voluntarily he  shrunk  aside,  with  the  thought  tluit 
his  last  hour  had  come. 


THE  TBAKSFORMATION. 


169 


XIII. 

Roar  of  Laughter  from  Bruce.  —  End  of  this 
tremendous  Adventure.  —  Reticence  of  the  tvhole 
Party  on  the  Subject.  —  No  one  can  taunt  the 
other.  —  Departure  from  the  Haunt  of  the  Bucca- 
neers. —  The  Antelope  expands  her  ivhite  Wings, 
but  in  vain.  —  The  Precautions  of  the  venerable 
Corbet  against  dead  Calms.  —  Alt  labor  at  the 
Sweeps.  —  The  Solace  of  Toil.  —  JVIiat  Vessel  are 
you  gliding  in? —  Taking  to  the  Boat.  —  Tumbling 
into  Bed. 


,UDPENLY   a   roar   of  langlitcr    burst    from 

"It's   a  dog!    It's    a   dog!    "lie    cried. — 
"  Tom's  shark's  turned  out  to  be  ii  dog  1 " 

And  saying  this,  he  burst  into  another  roar  of 
laughter.  The  laughter  proved  contagious.  Ar- 
thur and  Phil  both  joined  in.  Their  recent  horror 
had  been  so  gre.  *.  that  this  sudden  and  unex- 
pected turn  atlected  them  in  a  comical  way,  and 
the  reaction  was  in  proportion  to  their  former 
panic  fear.  So  their  laughter  was  loud,  boister- 
ous, and  unrestrained. 


160 


THE   TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


m 


At  the  very  moment  when  this  cry  had  burst 
forth  from  Bruce,  together  with  the  peals  of 
laughter,  Tom  had  shrunk  back  in  horror  from  the 
black  muzzle  that  appeared  on  his  right.  But  as 
he  did  so,  and  at  the  very  moment  of  this  horror  in 
which  his  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  monster,  this 
monster  became  plainly  revealed,  and  he  saw  it  as 
it  was. 

He  saw,  what  Bruce  and  the  others  now  saw  — 
a  dog !  a  dog  whose  long,  sharp  muzzle  and  fore- 
head were  above  the  water,  as  also  part  of  his  back 
and  his  tail.  He  was  a  hound  of  some  kind. 
Where  he  had  come  from,  or  where  he  was  going 
to,  or  why  he  haa  appeared  among  them,  they 
were,  of  course,  unable  to  conjecture.  Their  whole 
recent  terror  had  thus  been  the  result  of  pure 
fancy  in  Tom's  case,  and  in  the  case  of  the  others 
the  result  of  Tom's  first  shriek  of  alarm.  In  the 
case  of  all  of  them,  however,  the  whole  trouble  was 
owmg  to  the  belief,  of  which  they  were  not  yet 
able  to  divest  themselves,  that  this  cove  was  some 
very  sequestered  spot.  So  convinced  had  they 
been  of  this,  that  even  the  sight  of  a  public  road 
bad  not  altogether  disabused  them.  They  had 
been  determined  to  find  here  the  haunt  of  the  buc- 
caneers, and  were  unwilling  to  tl  ink  that  it  might 
bo  a  common  resort,  or  even  a  i'egular  thorough- 
fare. And  therefore,  when  Tom  had  first  caught 
Fight  of  this  black  muzzle  appearing  above  the 
Burface  of  the  water,  he  had  been  incapable  of 


be 
T 


ui 


THE  CANINE  COMPANION. 


161 


ad  burst 
peals  of 
from  the 
But  as 
horror  in 
3ter,  this 
saw  it  as 

V  saw  — 
ind  fore- 
his  back 
10  kind. 
IS  going 
jra,  they 
sir  whole 
of  pure 
3  others 

In  the 
ible  was 
not  yet 
as  some 
ad  they 
lie  road 
ley  had 
;he  buc« 
b  might 
orough- 

caught 
ive  the 
ible  of 


thinking  about  anything  except  a  shark ;  and  the 
horror  that  this  thought  created  within  him  had 
been  communicated  to  the  others  by  his  cries. 
Tom  was  the  real  cause  of  the  whole  mistake,  and 
no  one  felt  this  more  keenly  than  Tom  himself; 
yet  the  others  were  all  too  much  ashamed  of  their 
own  recent  terrors  to  twit  or  taunt  him  with  his 
unfounded  alarm. 

The  dog  now  swam  alongside  of  Tom,  and  a  lit- 
tle ahead  of  him,  turning  once  or  twice,  and  show- 
ing his  face  —  not  the  cruel  face  of  a  monster  of 
the  deep,  but  the  mild,  humane,  civilized,  and  be- 
nevolent countenance  of  a  hound  of  the  highest  re- 
spectability ;  a  face  the  sight  of  which  made  Tom 
feel  renewed  shame  at  his  foolish  and  baseless 
fears. 

The  other  boys  walked  up  to  the  beach,  and 
Tom  soon  joined  them.  The  hound  joined  them 
also.  He  was  a  very  friendly  dog,  and  shook  him- 
self so  violently  that  they  all  received  a  shower- 
bath  from  him.  They  patted  him,  and  petted  him, 
and  stroked  him ;  and  these  friendly  advances  of 
theirs  were  received  in  the  politest  possible  man- 
ner by  the  well-bred  hound,  who  finally  planted 
himself  on  his  haunches  in  the  attitude  known  to 
dogs  as  "  begging,"  which  so  affected  the  boys,  that 
they  would  have  given  him  some  biscuit  if  their 
coats  had  not  unfortunately  been  elsewhere.  But 
the  dog  had  evidently  his  own  business  to  attend 
to,  for  after  a  short  delay  he  took  bis  leave,  and 

n 


\?^ 


162 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


'  .\S    ■! 


trotted  up  the  road.  This  sudden  and  unexpected 
turn  which  had  been  given  to  what  had,  at  one 
time,  seemed  like  the  most  terrible  of  tragedies, 
rapidly  restored  their  strength  and  spirits,  in 
spite  of  the  tremendous  sensations  which  they 
had  but  recently  experienced,  and  the  exertions 
which  they  had  put  forth.  They  now  prepared  to 
return  to  the  place  where  they  had  left  their 
clothes  ;  and  since  the  fear  of  sharks  had  departed, 
they  took  to  the  water  again,  and  soon  reached  the 
knoll.  Here  they  clothed  themselves,  and  pre- 
pared to  return  to  the  schooner. 

On  reaching  the  Antelope,  they  were  all  sensible 
of  the  most  extreme  fatigue  and  prostration.  The 
exertions  which  they  had  made  in  the  ascent  and 
descent  of  Aspotogon,  and  more  especially  in  their 
efforts  to  escape  the  imaginary  shark,  were  the 
cause  of  this  in  part ;  but  a  greater  cause  existed 
in  the  intense  excitement  and  terror  to  which  t^ey 
had  been  subject.  They  were  fortunate,  however, 
in  having  such  a  place  of  refuge  as  the  hold  of  the 
Antelope,  for  there  they  found  awaiting  them  a 
dinner,  prepared  by  Solomon,  in  which  tha,t  famous 
cook  had  surpassed  himself,  and  had  turned  out 
the  rarest  specimens  of  the  culinary  art.  Their 
exertions  had  sharpened  their  appetites,  and  the 
long  time  that  had  elapsed  since  breakfast  made 
this  dinner  seem  like  a  banquet.  It  acted  upon 
them  all  like  a  charm.  Their  physical  natures 
were  refreshed,  and    their    moral   natures    also. 


A  DEAD   CALM. 


1G3 


»xpected 
,  at  one 
agedies, 
irits,  in 
ch  they 
xertions 
pared  to 
ift  their 
e  parted, 
3hed  the 
md  pre- 

sensible 
D.  The 
ent  and 
in  their 
ere  the 
existed 
ch  they 
Dwever, 
d  of  the 
them  a 
famous 
led  out 

Their 
md  the 

made 
d  upon 
latures 
also. 


Strength  came  to  their  bodies,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  their  minds. 

The  affair  of  the  shark  was  not  mentioned.  Un- 
der other  circumstances,  Bruce,  and  Arthur,  and 
Phil  might  have  taunted  Tom  with  his  absurd  mis- 
take ;  but  as  it  was,  they  were  all  too  much  ashamed 
of  their  own  fears,  and  of  their  own  part  in  the 
affair.  The  consequence  was,  that  all,  with  one 
consent,  allowed  the  matter  to  cirop,  and  made  no 
reference  to  it  whatever. 

After  dinner  they  went  upon  deck,  and  found  all 
sail  set,  and  the  Antelope  on  her  way  back  to 
Chester.  But  there  was  no  wind  whatever ;  it 
was  a  dead  calm,  and  consequently  the  return  to 
Chester  was  not  likely  to  be  accomplished  very 
speedily.  There  was,  from  time  to  time,  a  faint  puff 
of  wind,  it  is  true,  which  served,  perhaps,  to  pre- 
vent the  calm  from  being  so  dead  as  it  might  have 
been ;  yet,  after  all,  their  motion  was  so  slight,  and 
their  progress  so  slow,  that  after  two  hours  they 
had  not  put  much  more  than  a  mile  between  them- 
selves and  the  shore. 

It  was  about  four  o'clock  when  they  returned 
from  Deep  Cove  to  the  Antelope.  By  six  o'clock 
they  had  not  made  more  than  this  one  mile.  The 
boys  were  now  anxious  to  get  back  to  Chester  for 
various  reasons.  First,  they  wanted  to  have  a 
good  night's  rest  at  the  inn.  Secondly,  they  wanted 
to  see  the  landlord,  and  ask  him  all  about  Deep 
Cove.    Thirdly,  they  wanted  to  see  Bart  and  Pat, 


■'  yS 


1^  '  ' 


'Ml 


•^  '  ^■ 


164 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


and  tell  them  about  their  wonderful  discovery  of  the 
"Mound,"  and  their  theory  about  the  buried  treas- 
ure. But  the  failure  of  the  wind  made  it  seem  im- 
possible for  them  to  ^^et  back  to  Chester  that  night, 
and  there  ^^asi  some  talk  of  anchoring.  To  this, 
however,  the  boys  would  not  listen,  and  they  urged 
Captain  Corbet  to  keep  on  and  take  advantage  of 
any  slight  piiffs  of  wind  that  might  arise  from 
time  to  time.  Against  this  request  Captain  Corbet 
had  no  objections  to  offer,  aud  so  it  was  that  the 
Antelope  still  moved  on. 

The  Antelope  therefore  still  held  her  sails  ex- 
panded to  catch  any  breath  of  wind  that  might 
arise,  while  the  boys  lounged  along  the  taffrail, 
looking  impatiently  around.  At  another  time  they 
would  not  have  failed  to  admire  the  beauty  of  the 
scene  —  the  blue  sea  washing  the  iono^  line  of 
shore,  and  surrounding  the  numerous  iules  ;  but 
on  the  present  occasion,  they  were  too  impatient 
and  too  tired  to  be  affected  by  it.  Time  thus 
passed,  and  at  length  the  sun  went  down  in  the 
western  sky  in  a  blaze  of  glory.  By  that  time 
the  boys  found  themselves  approaching  an  island, 
which  was  about  three  miles  from  Aspotogon,  and 
which  thug*  indicated  to  them  the  distance  which 
they  had  gone  since  leaving  Deep  Cove.  Less 
than  three  miles  in  four  hours  had  been  their  rate 
of  progress. 

The  sun  thus  set,  and  the  moon  had  now  come 
out,  throwing  a  gentler  glow  upon  the  scene,  and 


PRECAUTIONS  OF  CAPTAIN  CORBET. 


165 


J  of  the 
1  treas- 
>em  im- 
t  night, 
^'o  this, 
^  urged 
age  of 
e  from 
Corbet 
hat  the 

iils  ex- 
might 
taffrail, 
le  they 
of  the 
ine  of 
(S  ;  but 
patient 
3   thus 
in  the 
time 
island, 
)n,  and 
which 
Less 
ir  rate 

7  come 
e,  and 


lighting  it  up  with  wonderful  beauty.  The  edges 
of  the  hills,  and  the  outlines  of  the  islands  seemed 
all  tipped  with  silver.  On  one  side  appeared  As- 
potogon,  and  Ironbound,  and  Tancook,  rising  out 
of  the  dark,  shadowy  water;  while  on  the  other 
side  the  islands  shone  in  the  lustre  of  the  moon, 
and  there,  too,  a  broad  pathway  of  radiant  light 
lay  outspread  upon  the  surface  of  the  water, 
reaching  from  the  schooner  to  the  horizon,  where 
a  low  coast  bounded  the  scene.  Never  had  Ma- 
hone  Bay  appeared  clothed  in  greater  loveliness. 

Captain  Corbet  had  learned  a  very  useful  lesson 
during  this  last  voyage  of  the  Antelope,  and  that 
was  to  have  some  means  on  board  by  which  he  would 
not  drift  so  helplessly.  The  long  drifts  which  had 
borne  him  hither  and  thither  over  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence,  and  over  the  ocean,  had  left  a  deep  im- 
pression ;  and  accordingly  he  had  taken  advantage 
of  this  visit  to  Chester  to  procure  a  pair  of  long 
sweeps,  which  may  be  described  as  oars  of  the 
largest  size.  On  the  present  occasion,  the  sweeps 
were  brought  into  requisition,  one  of  them  being 
worked  by  TurnbuU,  Bruce,  and  Phil,  whilo  the 
other  was  taken  in  hand  by  Wade,  Arthur,  and 
Tom.  The  venerable  Corbet  stood  at  the  helm  and 
'  steered,  while  Solomon  stood  at  the  bows,  gazing 
pensivelj  into  space,  and,  as  Tom  declared,  attitudi- 
nizing for  a  figure-head. 

The  sweeps  were  moved  with  very  long,  slow 
strokes.     The  two  parties  who  managed  them  at 


ii:i 


I: 

i 


if-r 


i 

■    ^ 


166 


THi     "REASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


...  -t. 


p  I 


first  made  an  effort  to  work  them  in  time,  but  at 
length  gave  this  up,  and  each  made  their  stroke  at 
random,  without  reference  to  the  others.  Whether 
the  Antelope  made  any  progress  or  not,  was  not 
for  a  long  time  perceptible ;  but  still  the  boys  all 
felt  as  though  they  were  doing  something,  and  the 
lapse  of  time  certainly  seemed  to  bring  them  nearer 
to  the  island  which  they  had  been  so  long  ap- 
proaching. 

The  exercise  was  a  pleasant  one,  and  in  order 
to  cheer  their  spirits,  they  burst  forth  into  songs. 
One  was  volunteered  by  Tom. 

What  vessel  are  you  gliding  in  ? 

Pray  tell  to  me  its  name ; 
Our  vessel  io  the  Antelopo, 

And  Corbet  is  my  name, 

And  Corbet  is  my  name, 

And  Corbet  is  my  name; 
Our  vessel  is  the  Antelope, 

And  Corbet  is  my  name. 

At  this  Captain  Corbet's  venerable  face  was  all 
suffused  with  sudden  smiles. 

"Why  railly,"  said  he,  "railly  now,  dew  tell. 
Why,  efyou  ain't  ben  an  done  it  agin.  Only  think, 
more  himes  about  me.  Why,  it  doos  beat  all. 
How  upon  airth  dew  you  ever  manage  to  fix  em  up 
that  way  ?  It  doos  —  beat  —  my  —  grandmother  !  " 

Other  songs  followed,  till  almost  everything  was 
made  use  of  that  they  had  ever  heard  —  the  Ca- 
nadian  Boat  Song,  the   Maltese   Boat  Song,  and 


SOLACE  OP  TOIL. 


167 


,  but  at 
troke  at 
Whether 
vaa  not 
Doys  all 
and  the 
1  nearer 
ong  ap- 

n  order 
•  songs. 


(vas  all 

w  tell. 
'•  think, 
)at  all. 
em  up 
iher !  " 
ig  was 
he  Ca- 
g,  and 


others  of  a  kindred  character,  including  ''  Hail  to 
the  Chief,"  and  "  March  !  March  I  Ettrick,  and 
Teviotdale."  In  this  way  the  time  was  beguiled, 
and  t^ieir  toil  at  the  long  sweeps  lightened. 

Around  them  the  whole  scene  glowed  in  the 
moonlight.  The  silver  islands  set  in  silver  seas, 
clothed  in  soft  lustre,  lay  reflected  in  the  smooth 
water.  Overhead  the  moon  hung  in  a  cloudless 
sky,  and  lightened  up  all  things  with  its  soft  and 
mellow  radiance.  They  could  see  also  by  the 
change  in  their  position,  which  they  noticed  from 
time  to  time,  that  they  were  actually  making  some 
progress  with  their  sweeps,  and  the  discovery, 
when  it  was  made,  encouraged  them  not  a  little. 

So  at  it  they  all  went  again,  more  vigorously 
tha^  ever,  and  sang  new  songs,  some  of  which  were 
of  a  kind  never  before  heard  in  these  waters.  One 
in  particular,  which  was  sung  to  a  remarkable  fugue 
tune,  was  called  Ode  to  Disappointment. 

I  never  had  a  piece  of  bread 

Particularly  wide, 

Partic-kik-kik-kik-kik-cu-lar-ly  wide, 

But  fell  upon  the  dusty  floor, 

All  on  the  buttered  side. 

All  on  the  but — 

All  on  the  but — 

All  on  the  but — 

All  on  the  but — 

All  on  the  but-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tered  side. 

And  always  thus,  from  childhood's  hour, 

This  luck  on  me  has  fell. 

This  luck-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk  on  me  has  fell. 


f'r 


4 


168  THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 

There  always  comes  a  soaking  fhower, 
When  I've  no  umberell, 
When  I've  no  umb — 
When  I've  no  umb — 
When  I've  no  umb — 
When  I've  no  umb — 

When  I've  no  umb-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum- 
bum-be-rell! 

This  spirited  ode  was  the  arrangement  of  Phil, 
who  prided  himself  hugely  upon  it.  He  did  not 
claim  it  as  original,  but  as  having  been  "  arranged  " 
and  "  adapted  "  to  its  present  tune. 

**  Well,  boys,"  said  Bruce  at  length,  "  I  dare  say 
we  are  making  some  progress ;  but  it  strikes  me 
that  it  hardly  pays." 

"  No,"  said  Tom.  "  At  this  rate  it'll  take  us  till 
to-morrow  morning  to  make  another  mile." 

**  I  don't  object  to  rowing  all  night,"  said  Phil, 
"  but  I  do  object  to  row  without  getting  the  benefit 
of  it." 

"  I  move,"  said  Arthur,  ^'  that  we  vote  the  sweeps 
a  humbug." 

"  I  second  that  motion,"  said  PhiL 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Bruce, "  it's  being  moved  and 
seconded,  that  the  sweeps  are  a  humbug.  Those 
of  that  mind  will  please  manifest  it  by  saying  Ay." 

it  Ay  ! "  rang  forth  from  Arthur,  Tom,  and  Phil. 

"  Contrary  minds,  Nay." 

No  response. 

*'  It's  a  vote,"  said  Bruce.  And  now,  gentlemen, 
we  may  as  well  consider  what's  to  be  done  next." 


le 
e^ 


A  CONSULTATION. 


169 


of  Phil, 
did  not 
anged  " 

lare  say 
Ikes  me 

us  till 

d  Phil, 
benefit 

sweeps 


^ed  and 
Those 

g  Ay." 
Phil. 


lemen, 
lext." 


"  0,  well,"  said  Phil,  as  he  and  the  other  boys 
left  the  sweeps  which  TurnbuU  and  Wade,  how- 
ever, still  kept  working.  "  I  suppose  there's  noth- 
thing  left  to  do  but  to  turn  in." 

"  It  can't  be  helped,"  said  Arthur. 

"  We'll  have  to  make  the  best  of  it,"  said  Tom. 

"  I  say,  boys,"  said  Bruce,  "  why  can't  we  take 
the  boat  and  row  to  Chester  ?  " 

"  A  good  idea,"  cried  Arthur.  "  Capital.  I  only 
wish  we'd  done  it  before." 

"  Captain,"  said  Tom,  "  we're  going  to  take  the 
boat." 

"  Hadn't  you  better  wait  a  little,"  said  the  anxious 
Corbet,  who  was  evidently  not  pleased  with  the 
proposal. 

"  0  there's  no  use ;  we  want  to  get  to  Chester 
to-night.  You'll  get  along  before  morning.  How 
many  miles  is  it  from  here  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  to 
TurnbuU. 

"Four,"  said  that  taciturn  individual. 

"  Four  miles.     Well,  boys,  what  do  you  say?" 

"  I'm  agreed,"  said  Bruce. 

"  And  I,"  said  Arthur. 

"  Anything's  better  than  this,"  said  Phil ;  "  so  I 
agree  to  the  boat." 

With  this  agreement  they  all  turned  to  the  boat, 
and  got  in.  A  few  brief  directions  were  given  by 
TurnbuU,  and  the  boys  pulled  away.  First  Bruce 
and  Arthur  pulled,  then  Tom  and  Phil.  Taking 
turns  in  this  way,  they  had  the  satisfaction  of  see- 


!   i    .. 


170 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


u 


ing    themselves  making   good  progress,  and    at 
length  reached  the  wharf  at  Chester. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  They 
knocked  up  the  people  at  the  inn,  and  hurried  up 
to  their  rooms.  They  were  so  utterly  worn  out, 
and  so  sleepy,  that  they  did  not  think  of  asking 
about  Bart  and  Pat,  but  tumbled  into  bed,  and  in  a 
few  moments  were  all  sound  asleep. 


A   TERRIBLE   SITUATION. 


171 


and    at 


|ig.   They 

rried  up 

p-orn  out, 

)f  asking 

and  in  a 


XIV. 

Bart  and  Pat.  —  Terrible   Situation.  —  The  first 
Horror,  and  its  Effects.  —  An  Attempt  to  climb. 

—  Another  Attempt  to  scale  the  Corners.  —  Try- 
ing the  Sides.  —  Too  wide  by  far.  —  Fat  luants  to 
tie  a  Rope  to  Nothing.  —  The  Pickaxe.  —  New 
Attempts  at  Climbing.  —  New  Disappointments. 

—  PaVs  Fertility  of  Invention.  —  A  new  Sugges- 
tion. —  A  dangerous  Experiment.  —  Funning  the 
Bisk.  —  Tugging  at  the  Logs.  —  Tlie  obstinate 
Fabric.  —  Baffled  and  beaten. 


h 


HERE,  side  by  side,  stood  the  two  boya,  at 
the  bottom  of  that  deep  pit,  into  which  they 
had  descended  ,  and,  standing  there,  they 
looked  with  unutterable  feelings  at  the  opening 
far  above  them,  across  which  was  suspended  the 
treacherous  beam.  At  first  there  was  a  thrill  of 
expectation,  in  both  of  them,  that  the  beam  was 
even  then  breaking,  and  at  any  instant  might  fall 
and  crush  them.  It  had  sagged  down  so  far,  and 
the  fracture  was  so  complete,  that  the  end  might 
come  in  another  moment.  Tlius  they  stood,  and 
looked  up  in  silence  and  with  hearts  that  throbbed 


« 


172 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEaS. 


{,-..»§ 


fast  and  painfully.     Neither  of  them  spoke  a  word. 
It  was  as  much  as  they  could  do  to  breathe. 

A  terrible  position  it  was,  and  how  terrible  they 
knew  only  too  well.  One  hundred  feet  below  the 
ground,  and  seventy  feet  below  the  level  of  tlio 
sea  —  such  was  the  depth  of  that  pit.  It  was  so 
long  and  so  narrow  that  the  bottom  was  quite  dark. 
As  they  stood  with  their  eyes  thus  fixed  on  tho 
threatening  beam,  they  noticed  that  the  sky  beyond 
it  had  changed  in  its  color  from  blue  to  black,  and 
two  or  three  stars  were  liaintly  visible.  It  was  like 
the  sky  of  night,  and  not  like  that  of  day.  That 
little  piece  of  sky  thus  indicated  to  them  the  change 
in  their  fate,  and  seemed  to  frown  upon  them  from 
ibove. 

In  their  minds  there  was  one  prevailing  sense 
of  mute  horror  and  awful  expectation ;  yet,  to- 
gether with  this,  a  thousand  other  thoughts  flashed 
through  them  —  thoughts  of  friends,  thoughts  of 
home,  wild  speculations  as  to  the  possibihty  of 
escape  ;  and  with  these  they  noticed  also  that  black 
piece  of  sky,  with  its  faintly-twinkling  stars.  But 
between  them  and  it,  between  the  upper  world 
which  that  sky  spoke  of  and  themselves,  there  in- 
tervened that  broken  beam  stretching  across  like 
a  bar,  to  shut  them  in  forever. 

Now,  gradually,  the  first  horror  passed.  It  was 
too  intense  a  feeling  to  endure.  The  delay  of 
their  fate  made  them  calmer,  and  brought  back 
presence  of  mind  :  for  the  beam  moved  no  more  — 


AN   ATTEMPT   TO    CLIMB. 


173 


3  a  word. 
le. 

ible  they 
•elow  tbo 
b1  of  tlio 
t  was  so 
lite  dark, 
i  on  the 
Y  beyond 
lack,  and 
was  like 
V,  That 
3  change 
em  from 

ig  sense 
yet,  to- 
3  flashed 
ights  of 
)ihty  of 
lat  black 
:"8.  But 
r  world 
here  in- 
oss  like 

It  was 
elay  of 
bt  back 
more  — 


it  fell  not  —  perhaps  it  might  remain  as  it  was, 
threatening  them,  but  doing  no  more  than  that. 
This  respite  from  their  doom  thus  brought  them 
back  to  themselves,  and  made  tliom  search  eagerly 
the  sides  of  the  pit  as  they  looked  up. 

"  I  wonder  if  we  can't  climb  it,  thin,''  said  Pat. 

"  I'm  afraid  not,"  said  Bart,  in  a  dejected  tone. 

"  Sure  an  there's  no  harrum  in  given  it  a  thrial," 
said  Pat ;  and,  as  ho  said  so,  he  laid  his  liands  upon 
the  staying  around  the  hole.  Scarce  had  he  done 
this,  than  he  was  aware  of  a  difference  between 
the  staying  here,  and  that  which  was  higher  up. 
Bart,  also,  who  had  done  as  Pat  had  done,  and  tiied 
to  find  some  way  of  climbing,  noticed  the  same 
thing. 

Had  the  staying  below  been  like  that  above>  the 
question  of  their  escape  would  very  soon  have  been 
settled  by  such  practised  climbers  as  these  two; 
but,  unfortunately,  there  was  a  very  important  dif- 
ference. Above,  the  staying  had  been  made  of 
stout  planks  and  deals,  and  those  were  far  enough 
apart  to  have  served  for  grasping  by  both  hands 
and  feet.  They  would  thus  have  afforded  an  actual 
ladder.  Below,  however,  it  was  very  different. 
The  staying  of  the  sides  of  the  pit  was  made,  not 
of  planks,  which  could  be  grasped  by  the  hands, 
but  of  round  logs,  which  the  hands  could  not 
hold,  though  the  feet  could  insert  themselves  well 
enough  in  the  interstices.  These  logs  rested  close- 
ly one  upon  the  other,  nor  was  there  an}'"  way  by 


,  .„,V,t-lv.iJIII 


174 


THE   TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


which  the  hands  could  pass  between  them  or 
around  them  so  as  to  grasp  tbem.  This,  then,  was 
the  discovery  that  Bart  and  Pat  made  the  moment 
that  they  tried  their  hands  at  climbing ;  and  thus 
the  first  plan  of  escape  which  had  suggested  itself 
was  baffled  most  completely. 

"  If  we  only  had  the  planks  ! ''  sighed  Bart :  "  but 
these  round  logs  give  no  chance.'* 

Pat  made  no  reply. 

Bart  then  tried  to  climb  at  the  corner,  for  here 
there  would  be  more  advantage  to  the  feet,  since 
the  sides,  being  at  right  angles,  would  afford  an 
easier  foothold.  But,  though  it  was  easier  for  the 
feet,  it  gave  no  greater  help  to  the  hands  than  be- 
fore. Still,  there  were  i  round  logs ;  nor  was 
there  at  the  angle  formed  by  the  sides  any  spaces 
sufficient  to  receive  the  hand  and  afford  a  hold. 

"  If  we  cud  only  get  up  as  far  as  the  rope,"  said 
Pat,  "  it  might  give  us  a  help,  so  it  might." 

"  What  I  when  that  beam  is  hanging  there  ? 
Why,  if  you  touched  that  rope  the  beam  would 
come  down." 

"  Sure  an  I  forgot  that  for  the  moment,  so  I 
did,"  said  Pat,  dejectedly. 

"  Strange  we  didn't  notice  that  the  beam  was 
rotten,"  said  Bart,  mournfully.  "  It  looked  sound 
enough." 

"  It  looked  as  sound  £3  a  suit,  so  it  did  ;  and  how 
it  managed  to  howlJ  ji*  -ill  I  jarked  it  bates  me 
i;itirely,  so  it  dot\^  " 


TRYING   THE  SIDES. 


175 


them  or 
then,  was 
3  moment 
and  thus 
ted  itself 

art :  "  but 


,  for  here 

eet,  since 

afford  an 

er  for  the 

i  than  be- 

nor  was 

ly  spaces 

,  hold. 

pe,"  said 
J) 

^   there  ? 
m.  would 

mt,    so  I 

>eam  was 
:ed  sound 

and  how 
bates  me 


"  It  must  have  been  sagging  down  and  cracking 
all  the  time.  The  only  wonder  is,  that  it  didn't  give 
way  when  v  ;  were  higher  up.  If  it  had,  there'd 
have  been  an  end  of  us." 

"  Sure  'n  you  niver  spoke  a  truer  word  in  your 
life,  so  you  didn't;  an,  be  the  same  token,  it's  a 
good  sign,  so  it  is,  an  a  fine  thing  intirely,  that 
we're  down  here  now  at  this  blissid  minute,  wid 
our  bones  not  broke  to  smithereens.  Sure  but  it 
makes  me  fairly  shiver  whin  I  think  of  you  an  me, 
one  after  the  other,  hangin  away  up  there  from  that 
bit  of  rotten  stick  that  was  broken  all  the  time." 

"  If  this  wasn't  quite  so  wide,"  said  Bart,  *•'  we 
might  stretch  our  legs  across,  and  get  up  that  way. 
I've  seen  :aen  go  down  into  wells  as  easy  as  you 
please,  just  by  stretching  their  legs  across." 

"  Sure  an  raeself  it  is  that's  seen  that  same," 
said  Pat,  briskly  ;  "  an  I  wondher  whether,  afther 
all,  our  legs  mightn't  be  long  enough  to  do  it." 

**  0,  no,"  said  Bart ;  "  it's  too  wide  altogether." 

"  Sure  an  we  might  then  ;  an  there's  nothin  like 
tryin." 

With  these  words  Pa*  i^dt  himself  to  try,  and 
Bart  did  the  same.  They  tried  by  stretching  their 
legs  as  far  as  possible  on  each  side  to  secure  a  foot- 
hold, and  thus  ascend.  Bad  the  pit  been  nar- 
rower, or  had  their  legs  been  longer,  they  could 
have  done  it ;  but,  as  it  was,  they  found  it  quite 
impossible.  They  could,  indeed,  touch  the  beams 
on  either  side  if  they  stretched  their  legs  as  far 


in 


**</,;•' 


mM 


H:; 


176 


THE  TREASl  iE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


apart  as  possible ;  but,  having  accomplished  this, 
they  could  do  no  more.  They  could  not  raise  their 
feet  higher  to  the  log  above.  So  rigid  were  their 
legs  when  thus  spread  apart,  that  they  could  not 
raise  them.  At  length  they  were  compelled  to 
desist  from  these  efforts. 

"  It's  too  wide  intirely,  so  it  is,"  said  Pat,  dole- 
fully. "  An  whativer  was  the  use  of  makin  the 
hole  so  wide  is  beyond  me.  It  wasn't  any  use  at 
all  at  all,  so  it  wasn't ;  an  there  you  have  it." 

"  The  fault's  in  our  legs  as  much  as  in  the  pit," 
said  Bart.  "  If  we  were  five  years  older  we  might 
do  it." 

*'  Sure  I  always  thought  I  cud  climb  betther  thin 
any  man  till  this  blissid  momint,"  said  Pat. 

"  I  only  wish  I  was  a  man  for  about  five  min- 
utes," said  Bart,  fervently. 

"  Two  minutes  'd  jist  do  it,  so  it  wad,"  said  Pot. 

"  Yes,"  said  Bart. 

''  An  these  logs  don't  go  all  the  way  up.  If  we 
cud  only  get  up  to  the  planks  we'd  be  all  right." 

"  I  didn't  notice  particularly,"  said  Bart,  "  but  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  plank  staying  reaches  nearly 
half  way  down." 

''  Full  that,  ivery  inch  of  it,  so  it  does,"  said  Pat. 

*'  If  we  could  only  get  up  as  far  as  that  I "  ex- 
claimed Bart. 

"  Faith,  I  have  it,"  said  Pat,  suddenly. 

"  What?"  asked  Bart,  with  some  excitement. 

"  I  have  it,"  repeated  Pat.  ^*  It's  a  rope  we  want." 


PAT   WANTS   TO   TIE   A   ROPE  TO   NOTHING. 


177 


ed  this, 
ise  their 
ire  their 
)uld  not 
lelled  to 

'at,  dole- 
ikin  the 
y  use  at 
b." 

,he  pit," 
re  might 

:her  thin 

]ve  min- 

said  Pat. 

If  we 

ight." 
"  but  it 
s  nearly 

aid  Pat. 
It  I"  ex- 


nent. 
D  want." 


"  A  rope  !  "  exclaimed  Bart. 

<'  Yis,  a  bit  of  a  rope ;  ony  we  haven't  got  one 
long  enough." 

"  Why,  what  good  would  a  rope  be  to  us  here  ?  " 
asked  Bart,  in  a  puzzle  to  know  what  in  the  world 
Pat  had  got  into  his  head. 

"  Sure,  I  have  it.  Can't  wo  twist  a  rope  an  make 
this  longer?" 

"  I  don't  know  what  you're  after,"  said  Bart,  im- 
patiently.    "  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Sure  an  we  can  tear  up  our  coats  an  shirts,  an 
make  a  rope  that  way  ;  ony,"  he  added^  thought- 
fully,"  it  mightn't  be  long  enough,  so  it  mightn't." 

"  Nonsense,"  said  Bart ;  "  you're  crazy.  What 
do  we  want  of  a  rope  ?  " 

"  Sure,  to  climb  with." 

"  How  ?     Where  would  you  fasten  it  ?  " 

"  Fasten  it,  is  it  ?  "  said  Pat,  in  a  dubious  tone  ; 
^'  sure  that  same  I  niver  thought  of  at  all  at  all.  I 
forgot  all  about  it,  so  1  did." 

"  Well,  we'll  have  to  do  something,"  said  Bart. 
''  We  can't  stand  still  here  and  die." 

"  There's  the  bit  of  a  pick  here,"  said  Pat. 
''Sure  an  we  ought  to  be  able  to  do  somethin 
with  the  pick,  so  we  ought." 

And  with  these  words  he  stooped  and  lifted  up 
the  pickaxe  which  he  had  thrown  in  before  they 
went  down,  and  which,  in  the  anguish  and  excite- 
ment which  they  had  thus  far  felt,  had  been  alto- 
gether forgotten. 


!l 


11 


«,   ■■ 


tlt«' 


A 


178 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


"  We  ought  to  do  something  with  that,"  said 
Bart. 

"  It  won't  do  any  good  to  more  thin  one  of  us," 
said  Pat,  sadly,  "  for  only  one  of  us  can  use  it  at  a 
time." 

*'  Nonsense,"  said  Bart ;  "  if  one  of  us  can  only 
climb  up,  can't  he  help  the  other  ?  " 

"  Sure  an  so  he  can,"  said  Pat ;  "  an  I  niver 
thought  of  that,  so  I  didn't." 

"  I  wonder  if  we  can  climb  with  that  ?  "  said 
Bart. 

"  Sure  an  we  can  try,"  said  Pat ;  "  an  we  ought 
to  do  somethin,  so  we  ought." 

With  these  words,  he  thrust  the  pick  between 
two  timbers,  a  few  feet  above  his  head,  and  then 
clutching  it,  he  raised  himself  up  to  a  level  with 
the  pick,  in  the  easiest  way  possible.  Hanging 
there  for  a  moment,  with  his  hands  grasping  the 
pick,  and  his  foet  stuck  tight  between  the  logs,  he 
tried  to  raise  himself  higher.  To  do  this,  it  wa.-^ 
necessary  to  hold  himself  there,  while  removing 
the  pick,  and  raising  it  to  the  logs  farther  up.  But 
here  was  the  fatal  and  insuperable  difficulty ;  and 
this  brought  them  exactly  back  to  where  they  were 
before.  Do  what  he  would,  his  hands  could  not 
grasp  the  round  logs  with  sufficient  firmness  to 
maintain  a  hold.  After  a  few  efforts  he  gave  it  up, 
and  jumped  down. 

Bart  then  tried,  making  his  attempt  at  the  cor- 
ner of  the  pit,  where   the  angle  of  tbe  two  sides 


at,"  said 


3  of  US," 

3e  it  at  a 

can  only 

L  I  niver 

t?"  said 

fve  ought 

between 
and  then 
evel  with 
Hanging 
ping  the 
J  logs,  he 
is,  it  was 
'e  moving 
up.  But 
Ity ;  and 
hey  were 
ould  not 
uness  to 
ive  it  up, 

t  the  cor- 
wo  sides 


NEW    ATTEMPTS   AT    CLIMBING. 


179 


favored  him  more.  Striking  the  pick  in  between 
two  logs,  as  high  up  as  he  could  reach,  ho  raised 
himself  up  as  Pat  had  done,  and  then  tried  to  lift 
himself  higher,  lie  found  a  place  which  ho  could 
grasp,  and  clinging  to  this  with  a  convulsive  effort, 
ho  raised  the  pick  to  the  logs  farther  up,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  thrusting  it  into  a  new  place.  Ihen  ho 
drew  himself  up  higher,  and  once  more  searched 
about  for  a  phice  to  grasp.  But  now  no  placo 
could  be  found.  In  vain  he  tried  to  thrust  his 
fingers  between  the  logs ;  in  vain  ho  sought  to 
grasp  the  round  surface.  It  was  a  thing  that 
could  noli  be  done.  After  a  long  but  fruitless 
effort,  Bart  was  compelled  to  give  up.  Yet  ho 
was  not  satisfied.  He  tried  the  other  three  cor- 
ners of  the  pit  in  succession.  In  all  of  them  his 
efforts  met  with  the  same  result — failure,  utter 
and  hopeless. 

At  length  he  flung  down  the  pick,  and  stood 
panting. 

"  Deed,  thin,  an  I'm  glad  to  sec  you  back,  so  I 
am,"  said  Pat. 

"  Glad  ! "  said  Bart. 

"  Yis,  glad  I  am ;  that  same's  what  T  mane. 
Pd  rather  have  you  fail  down  here,  than  half  way 
up.  You  niver  cud  go  all  the  way  ;  an  if  you 
had  to  turrun  back  when  half  way  up,  it's  a  sore 
he-^d  Pd  have  watchin  you ;  an  you  cud  niver 
expict  to  git  back  here  again  without  broken 
bones." 


180 


THE   TREASURE   OF   THE   SEAS. 


"  If  WO  only  had  one  other  pickaxe."  said  Bart, 
"  I  could  do  it.'' 

"  Of  coorso  you  cud ;  an  if  wo  had  dizena  of 
other  things,  you  cud  do  it,  ko  you  cud,  an  so  cud 
I ;  but  there's  the  throul)Io,  an  that's  what  we've 
got  to  contind  against,  so  it  is." 

"  We'll  have  to  do  something,"  said  Bart,  gloom- 
ily and  desperately. 

"  Sure  an  that's  thrue  for  you,  so  it  is,  an  you 
niver  spoke  a  tliruer  word  in  yer  life,  so  you 
didn't,"  said  Pat ;  "  an  be  the  same  token,  it's  with 
this  pick,  so  it  is,  that  we've  got  to  work,  —  for 
it's  the  only  thing  we've  got  at  all  at  all." 

"  What  can  wo  do,"  said  Bart,  in  the  same 
gloomy  tone,  "  if  we  can't  climb  ?  " 

"  Sure  an  there's  lots  more,  so  there  is,"  said 
Pat,  who  on  this  occasion  showed  a  wonderful  fer- 
tility of  invention.  *'  Pve  ben  a  thinkin,"  he 
added,  "  that  we  might  dig  away  these  logs  with 
the  pick." 

"  What  good  would  that  do  ?  "  asked  Bart. 

"  Sure  an  we  might  dig  thim  out  one  by  one,  an 
pile  thim  up  as  we  dug  thim,  an  so  we  might  make 
a  pile  of  logs  high  enough  to  reach  to  the  top." 

Bart  was  silent  for  a  few  moments.  The  sug- 
gestion was  certainly  of  some  value. 

*^  I  wonder  whether  we  mightn't  shako  that  log 
down  on  us,  by  pounding  away  down  here  ?  " 

"Sure  an  it's  the  only  thing,"  said  Pat.  "We've 
got  to  run  some  risk,  of  coorse ;  an  I  don't  think 


id  Bart, 

zens  of 
1  so  cud 
it  we've 

,  gloom- 

an  you 

so  you 

t's  with 

^,  —  for 

3   same 

s,"  said 
rful  fer- 
in/^  he 
js  with 


one,  an 
t  make 

be  sug- 

bat  log 

We've 
t  tiiink 


TUGGING    AT   THE   LOGS. 


1^1 


that  our  binws  would  be  felt  so  liigh  up.  Besides, 
we  needn't  sthrike  very  hard." 

"  Well,"  said  Bart,  "  it's  the  only  thing  wo 
can  do." 

Upon  this,  Pat  inserted  the  point  of  the  pick 
between  the  logs  near  him,  and  tried  to  pry  the 
lower  one  out  at  one  end.  But  the  stubborn  log 
resisted  his  efforts.  It  had  b'cn  too  firmly  fixed 
in  its  place  to  yield  to  such  a  slight  force -as  that 
which  he  could  bring.  Bart  lent  his  efforts,  and 
the  two  exerted  themselves  with  their  utmost 
strength,  but  altogether  in  vain. 

"  If  we  cud  ony  git  out  one  log,"  said  Pat, 
"  it  wud  be  aisy  workin  out  the  others,  so  it 
wud  ;  but  this  one  seems  a  tough  customer,  so 
it  does." 

"  There  ought  to  be  some  log  about  here,"  said 
Bart,  "weaker  than  others." 

"  Sure  an  that's  thrue  for  you,"  said  Pat,  "  an  so 
Ave'll  jist  thry  thim  all  one  afther  another,  ivery 
one  of  them.  WeVe  got  lots  of  time,  so  we 
have." 

"  See,  here's  a  smaller  one,"  said  Bart. 

Pat  struck  the  point  of  the  pick  where  Bart 
pointed,  and  once  more  the  two  boys  exerted  them- 
selves to  pry  out  the  log.  But  though  this  one 
was  somewhat  smaller  than  the  otiier,  it  was  quite 
as  firmly  fixed,  and  the  utmost  efforts  of  both  of 
them  failed  to  move  it,  even  in  the  slightest  degree, 
from  its  bed. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGE  r  (MT-3} 


1.0 


1.1 


12.8 


lit   1^ 


1^ 


«...  U£ 


us 

U 


1*0 


\m  Hi  1.4 


—      A" 


1 2.0 
IRse 

1.6 


HiotDgraphic 

Sciences 

CorporatiGn 


23  WBT  MAIN  STRUT 

WIUTIR.N.Y.  USM 

(716)  172.4303 


\ 


V 


•s§ 


>s\ 


:V 


/ 


182 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


"  Sure  an  there's  no  danger  of  this  pit  iver  cavin 
in,"  said  Pat,  as  he  desisted  from  his  efforts. 
"  They  made  this  pit  strong  enough  to  howld  a 
iliphant,  so  they  did  —  the  worse  for  us." 

^*  Well,"  said  Bart,  "  we'll  have  to  try  every  log 
that's  within  reach." 

"  Sure  an  we  ought  to  find  some  weak  spot  if 
we  do,  so  we  ought,"  said  Pat. 

Bart  now  inserted  the  pick  between  the  logs 
just  above  the  last  one. 

"  This  is  jist  what  we  intinded  to  do  whin  wo 
come  dov/n,"  said  Pat ;  "  for  weren't  we  goin  to 
thry  to  git  to  the  money-hole  ?" 

Bart  said  nothing. 

The  two  boys  now  tugged  away  as  before.  But 
the  result  was  the  same,  for  this  log  was  as  firmly 
fixed,  as  tough,  and  as  obdurate  as  the  others. 

"  Sure  an  it's  hard,  so  it  is,  that  the  very  log  we 
trusted  our  lives  to  should  turrun  out  to  be  rotten, 
an  all  these  logs  here  should  be  as  sound  an  as 
strong  as  steel  an  iron,  ivery  mother's  son  of 
thim.  If  we  cud  only  find  a  rotten  one,  an  pull  it 
out  of  its  place,  we'd  be  able  to  git  at  the  others 
aisy,  and  haul  out  all  the  rist  of  thim." 

The  boys  now  tried  other  logs,  one  after  the 
other ;  but  from  all  of  them  they  met  ^vith  the  very 
same  stubborn  resistance.  They  had  all  been 
placed  here  evidently  by  men  who  worked  con- 
scientiously, and    were   determined  to   leave   no 


BxVFFLED   AND  BEATEN. 


183 


|ver  cavin 

efforts. 

howJd  a 

>very  log 

p  spot  if 

the  logs 

whin  Wo 
Q  goin  to 


weak  spot  exposed  to  the  pressure  of  the  earth. 
And,  as  was  natural,  that  which  had  withstood  so 
well  the  pressure  of  the  surrounding  soil,  was 
easily  able  to  withstand  the  puny  efforts  of  a 
couple  of  boys. 


■i  if 


IK 


)re.  But 
as  firmly 
ters. 

y  log  we 
•e  rotten, 
id  an  as 
son  of 
n  pull  it 
e  others 

fter  the 
he  very 
II  been 
id  con- 
ave  no 


bb 


181 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


XV. 

Pat  and  the  Pick,  —  A  dangerous  Plan.  —  Under- 
mining the  very  Foundation.  —  A  terrible  Risk.  — 
Something  like  an  Earthquake  —  A  Way  opened. 
—  They  m^ke  an  Ascent.  —  A  sudden  Stop.  — 
The  projecting  Log.  —  Tlie  Pickaxe.  —  Who  shall 
go  down  ?  —  A  new  Descent.  —  Tlie  Watch  of 
Bart.  —  Alarm.  —  A  Call.  —  Silence.  —  Terror. 
— An  Answer.  — Fearful  Intelligence.  —  The  very 
worst.  —  The  Drain.  —  The  rising  Waters.  — 
Tlie  Pit  flooded.  —  TJie  impending  Doom, 

•••N  this  way  they  went  over  all  the  logs,  and  at 
TV  length  reached  the  lowest  layer  of  all.  At 
this  point,  Pat^s  superior  dexterity  with  the 
pick  enabled  him  to  invent  and  to  put  in  practice 
a  plan  which  could  not  have  been  used  before,  or 
with  any  of  the  logs  except  these  lowest  ones. 
For  beneath  these  was  the  earth,  and  Pat^s  plan 
was  the  natural  and  simple  one  of  digging  this 
^arth  awsy,  and  so  undermining  the  log  that  lay 
there.  Pat  worked  nimbly  and  thoroughly,  and  as 
he  loosened  the  soil,  Bart  scraped  it  away  with  his 
hands.    Pat  dug  down  to  the  depth  of  a  foot  all 


HARD   LABOR. 


185 


—  Under- 

3  Risk.  — 
y  opened. 
Stopr  — 
Tho  shall 
^atch  of 

-  Terror. 
The  very 
'ixters.  — 


\f  and  at 
all.  At 
nth  tlio 
practice 
jfore,  or 
pt  ones, 
t's  plan 
ng  this 
that  lay 
and  as 
nth  his 
foot  all 


along,  and  then  thrust  the  pick  far  in,  scooping 
out  the  earth  that  lay  on  the  other  side  of  the 
log.  In  this  way  they  succeeded  in  removing  the 
earth  that  kept  the  log  in  its  place,  and  at  length 
they  were  able  to  detach  it,  and  draw  it  forth. 

The  removal  of  this  one  log  served  to  make  the 
removal  of  the  others  possible.  By  diligent  eflforts 
the  four  logs  which  composed  tlie  lower  tier  were 
detached.  The  side  logs  were  too  long  for  the 
pit,  and  therefore  had  to  be  placed  erect,  and 
leaned  against  the  side.  The  end  logs  could  lie 
down  easily.  The  second  tier  then  followed,  and 
was  removed  more  easily  than  the  first.  Then  the 
third  tier  was  detached,  and  the  fourth.  In  each 
case  the  logs  of  the  side  had  to  be  stood  erect, 
while  the  end  logs  were  laid  on  the  ground  at  the 
bottom. 

A  serious  diflSculty  now  appeared  before  the 
boys,  and  one,  too,  for  which  they  had  not  been  pre- 
pared. The  length  of  the  side  logs  was  a  very  em- 
barrassing circumstance.  They  were  too  long  to 
be  placed  at  the  bottom,  and  had  to  be  stood  up. 
But  this  took  up  space,  and  infringed  very  seriously 
upon  the  narrow  area  in  which  their  operations 
were  carried  on.  In  passing  from  one  side  to  re- 
move the  logs  on  the  other,  they  had  to  lift  these 
backward  and  forward  so  as  to  get  them  out  of 
the  way  —  a  work  which  was  most  exhaustive,  and 
at  the  same  time  hindered  them  in  their  proper 
efforts.     Still  they  kept  on,  until  at  length  about 


i 


it' 


186 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


eight  tiers  of  logs  had  been  removed,  and  the 
longer  ones  filled  up  so  much  space,  that  it  was 
quite  impossible  to  do  any  more.  They  still 
worked  away  at  those  which  were  within  reach, 
and  managed  to  remove  a  dozen  logs  more ;  but 
after  this  they  could  do  nothing,  for  the  bottom  of 
the  pit  was  completely  filled,  and  the  staying  was 
now  a  compact  mass  from  which  nothing  further 
could  be  detached  until  the  logs  were  removed 
which  were  covered  up  by  those  piled  against  it. 

Bart  and  Pat  were  now  compelled  to  desist  for 
a  time,  and  as  they  felt  quite  exhausted,  they 
raised  themselves  to  the  top  of  the  pile  of  upright 
logs,  and  there  sat  down.  Scarcely  had  they  done 
this,  when  they  were  aware  of  a  trembling  all 
around,  like  an  earthquake.  In  horror  they  sprang 
to  their  feet.  The  sides  seemed  to  be  moving ; 
the  logs  separated,  and  descended,  and  through 
the  crevices  there  protruded  sand  and  clay.  It  was 
as  though  the  whole  mass  of  the  casing  was  falling 
in.  In  an  instant  they  knew  what  it  was.  In  their 
thoughtlessness  they  had  taken  away  the  founda- 
tions of  this  structure,  and  it  was  all  falling  in. 
An  involuntary  cry  of  terror  burst  from  both. 
They  shrank  together,  clinging  to  the  pile  on 
which  they  stood,  and  awaited  their  last  hour. 

But  once  again  there  was  a  respite.  The  move- 
ment ceased.  The  worst  seemed  to  be  over,  at 
least  for  the  present.  Yet  the  result  of  this  one 
movement  was  fearful  as  far  as  it  went.    All  the 


A  TERRIBLE   RISK. 


187 


and  the 
at  it  was 
'hey  still 
lin  reach, 
lore ;  but 
)ottom  of 
lying  was 
g  further 

removed 
gainst  it. 
desist  for 
5ted,  they 
f  upright 
;Iiey  done 
ibling  all 
ey  sprang 
moving ; 
1  through 
y.  It  was 
as  falling 

In  their 
te  founda- 
falling  in. 
•om  both. 
)  pile  on 
bour. 
'he  move- 
i  over,  at 
this  one 

AU  the 


logs  of  the  casing  seemed  severed  and  distorted, 
and  had  apparently  descended  as  far  as  they  had 
dug  away  the  foundations.  Seeing  this,  another 
frightful  thought  came  —  the  broken  beam  above. 
They  looked  up  fearfully.  As  yet,  however,  tlio 
danger  impending  hesitated  to  strike,  for  there, 
across  the  mouth  of  the  hole,  they  saw  the  broken 
beam  defined  against  the  sky.  It  did  not  appear 
to  have  moved ;  nor  was  there  that  appearance  of 
irregularity  about  the  upper  casing  of  the  pit 
which  now  marked  the  lower.  It  seemed  to  them 
as  though  the  slighter  staying  of  plank  had  been 
put  in  the  upper  part  of  the  pit,  because  it  was 
clay,  and  needed  but  little  protection;  but  down 
below,  where  the  soil  was  looser,  stout  logs  had 
been  required.  As  they  looked  up,  they  saw  that 
all  this  lower  casing  of  logs  had  fallen. 

No  sooner  had  they  discovered  this  than  they 
saw  also  something  which  inspired  them  with 
hope.  Not  only  had  the  lower  staying  of  logs  thus 
descended,  but  it  had  also  lost  its  cohesion,  and  the 
logs  all  seemed  to  be  separated  b}'-  spaces  of  more 
or  less  width,  while  many  of  them  protruded  into 
the  pit  as  though  thrust  in  by  the  pressure  of  the 
earth.  Now  they  recognized  at  a  glance  the  tre- 
mendous risk  that  they  had  run  while  removing 
the  lowest  logs  ;  but  at  the  same  glance  they  per- 
ceived that  the  immediate  danger  had  passed,  and 
that  they  were  now  at  least  less  helpless  than  be- 
fore.   For  now,  at  last,  there  need  be  no  difficulty 


i.4 


I  ■ 


I*  ■■■' 


188 


XBE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


about  climbing.  Now  the  spacea  between  the 
logs  were  wide  enough  for  them  to  find  something 
which  they  might  grasp  with  their  hands,  and  for 
some  distance  up,  at  any  rate,  tlioy  could  see  what 
seemed  like  a  ladder,  up  which  they  might  climb 
in  search  of  escape  from  this  fearful  place. 

No  sooner  had  they  made  this  discovery  than 
they  at  once  caught  at  this  prospect  which  thus 
had  so  unexpectedly  opened  before  them,  and  be- 
gan to  climb.  The  task  was  not  very  difficult. 
Each  one  took  a  corner  of  the  pit  where  the  meeting 
of  the  two  walls  favored  the  ascent,  and  for  some 
time  they  continued  to  mount  without  much  diffi- 
culty. 

"  Sure  but  I'm  afraid  this  is  too  good  to  last," 
said  Pat. 

Bart  made  no  reply.  That  very  fear  was  in  his 
own  mind.  In  that  suspense  he  could  say  nothing. 
At  last  they  had  mounted  as  high  as  the  place 
where  the  rope  had  broken.  The  end  hung  here 
suspended  most  tantalizingly.  0,  what  joy  it  would 
have  been  for  them  had  it  been  the  rope  alone 
which  had  thus  broken,  —  if  the  beam  had  only 
continued  sound ;  but  now  that  rope  was  useless, 
and  they  dared  not  touch  it  for  fear  lest  even 
a  touch  might  bring  down  upon  their  heads  the 
beam  that  hung  there  impending  over  them.  For- 
tunately they  were  able  to  ascend  yet  higher,  for 
still  above  them  the  log  casing  had  been  started 
asunder,  and  still  they  found  themselves  able  to 


A  SUDDEN  STOP. 


ISO 


reen  the 
Dmething 
,  and  for 
see  what 
ht  climb 

ery  than 
lich  thus 
,  and  he- 
difficult, 
meeting 
for  some 
uch  diffi- 

to  last," 

is  in  his 

nothing. 

he  place 

ng  here 

it  would 

DC  alone 

lad  only 

useless, 

st  even 

3ads  the 

n.     For- 

her,  for 

started 

able  to 


grasp  places  of  support.  The  staying  had  cer- 
tainly undergone  a  universal  disintegration,  and 
nothing  but  its  great  compactness  had  prevent- 
ed it  from  falling  in  ruin  over  their  heads,  and 
burying  them  alive.  It  was  with  amazement  and 
consternation  that  they  recognized  their  work, 
and  these  feelings  would  have  overwhelmed  them 
had  they  not  found  the  result,  after  all,  so  fortunate 
for  themselves.  The  risk  had  passed  away.  For 
the  present,  at  least,  they  were  receiving  the 
benefit. 

The  fear  which  Pat  had  expressed,  and  which 
Bart  had  felt  without  expressing,  that  the  ascent 
was  too  good  a  thing  to  last,  was  at  length  proved 
to  be  only  too  well  founded.  After  they  had 
climbed  some  distance  farther,  thev  found  their 
ascent  brought  to  an  abrupt  termination.  For 
here  there  was  a  kind  of  separation  between  the 
lower  casing  and  the  upper  ;  a  log  bulged  forward 
about  a  foot,  and  above  this  there  was  a  gap  in  the 
casing  about  two  feet  in  height  which  showed  the 
earth  behind,  a  kind  of  clay,  and  in  this  there  waa 
a  cavity  caused  by  the  falling  of  the  casing. 
Above  this  the  casing  had  held  firm,  but  unfortu- 
nately they  had  not  reached  the  planks.  They 
were  the  same  round  logs  which  rose  above  them, 
and  which  would  be  as  difficult  to  scale  from  this 
point  as  they  had  proved  from  below. 

Upon  this  ledge,  formed  by  the  bulging  logs, 
they  clambered,  and  seated  themselves,  dejected 


•';, 
*> 


4 

4 

m 


" 


190 


THE  TREASURG  OF  THE  SEAS. 


at  the  termination  of  their  ascent,  yet  relieved 
slightly  by  the  chance  which  was  now  afforded  of 
some  rest  and  breathing  space.  Here  they  sat, 
and  looked  up. 

"  Sure  an  it's  hard,  so  it  is,"  said  Pat,  "  to  find 
an  ind  to  it  just  here,  whin,  if  we'd  only  been  able 
to  climb  twinty  or  thirty  feet  further^  we'd  have 
got  to  the  planks,  an  been  all  safe.'' 

"  Yes,"  said  Bart,  looking  up,  "  there  are  the 
planks  ;  and  they're  not  more  than  thirty  feet  above 
us  at  the  farthest." 

"  An  yit  they're  as  much  out  of  our  raich  as 
though  they  were  a  hundred,  so  they  are." 

"I'd  rather  have  the  thirty  feet,  at  any  rate," 
said  Bart.  "  Come  now  ;  can't  we  manage  to  get 
farther  up." 

"  Nivir  a  farther,"  said  Pat.  "  We've  got  to  the 
ind  of  our  journey." 

"Come  now,"  said  Bart.  "  See  here,  Pat.  You 
spoke  of  a  tunuel  once.  In  fjict  we  came  down 
here  with  the  pickaxe  on  purpose  to  make  a  tunnel 
to  the  money-hole.  Well,  Ave're  after  something 
more  precious  than  money  —  life  itself.  Can't  we 
tunnel  up  to  life?" 

"  Tunnel,  is  it?"  cried  Pat,  in  great  excitement. 
"  Of  coorse  we  can.  Ye've  jist  hit  it,  so  you  have. 
It's  what  we'll  do.     We  will  thin." 


"  The  soil  here 


like  clay ;  and  if  we  cut 


seems 

up  behind  this  casing,  it'll  be  comparatively  safcj 
said  Bart.    "  We  need  only  cut  up  to  the  planks 


it 


1} 


THE  PICKAXE. 


191 


t  relieved 
[forded  of 
I  tliey  8}it, 

t,  "  to  find 

been  able 

we'd  have 

re  are  the 
feet  above 

r  raich  as 

any  rate," 
ige  to  get 

got  to  the 

Pat.  You 
ame  down 
?e  a  tunnel 
something 
Can't  VV0 

Kcitement. 
you  have. 

if  we  cut 
^ely  safe," 
Q  planks." 


"  Sure  an  we'll  have  to  cut  up  to  the  top." 

*'  0,  no  !  When  we  get  to  the  planks,  we  can  break 
through,  and  climb  them  like  a  ladder  to  the  top. 
Once  up  to  the  planks,  and  we're  safe." 

<'  Break  through  the  plankin  is  it  ?  Sure  enough ; 
right  are  you  ;  that's  what  we'll  do,  so  it  is." 

"  And  so  that  makes  only  thirty  feet  to  cut  away. 
It'll  be  hard  work  cutting  upwards ;  but  you  and 
I  ought  to  manage  it,  Pat,  when  our  lives  are  at 
stake." 

"Manage  it?  Of  coorse;  why  not?  Only  wo 
haven't  got  that  bit  of  a  pick  with  us,  so  we 
haven't,  for  we  left  it  down  below ;  an  sorra  one 
of  me  knows  what's  become  of  it.  It  may  be 
buried  under  the  roons  of  the  fallin  logs." 

At  this  Bart  looked  at  Pat  with  something  like 
consternation. 

"Well,"  said  he  at  length,  "we'll  have  to  go 
down  again  —  one  of  us ;  we  must  have  that  pick- 
axe.   I'll  go." 

"Sure  an  you  won't,"  said  Pat;  "meselPs  the 
one  that's  goin  to  go." 

"  No,  you  shan't.     Poh  I     Don't  be  absurd." 

"  Sure  I'm  bound  to  go ;  and  so  don't  you  go  too. 
There's  not  the  laste  nicissity  in  life  for  both  of  us 
to  go."  ^ 

"  0,  well,  then,"  said  Bart,  "  we'll  have  to  toss  up 
for  it.    That's  all." 

And  saying  this,  he  took  out  a  piece  of  money, 
and  said  to  Pat, — 


i 


t 


\f:. 


If'l  il 


^ 


hi 


W:K 


fe^'y 


192 


THE  TB£ASU££  OF  TUF  SEAS. 


"Head  or  Tail?" 

"  Tail,"  said  Pat. 

Bart  tossed.  Pat  lost.  It  was  Pat's  business 
therefore  to  go  down. 

'*  Sure  an  it's  aisy  climbin,"  said  Pat,  "  an  the 
pick'll  be  a  help  whin  I  returrun." 

With  these  words  he  departed. 

Seated  on  the  log,  Bart  looked  down,  watching 
Pat's  descent.  They  had  climbed  about  half  way 
up  the  pit,  and  Pat  had  about  fifty  feet  to  go  down. 
Looking  down,  it  was  dark,  and  Pat  at  length  disap- 
peared from  view.  Bart  could  only  hear  him  as  he 
moved  about.     At  length  there  was  a  deep  stillness. 

Bart  grew  alarmed. 

"  Pat  I  "  he  called. 

No  answer  came. 

"  Pat  I  "  he  called  again. 

Still  no  answer. 

"  Pat ! '"'  he  called,  as  loud  as  he  could,  for  he 
was  now  thoroughly  frightened.  As  he  called,  he 
put  his  feet  over,  and  prepared  to  descend. 

"  I'm  here,'^  Pat's  voice  came  up.  "  Don't  come 
down.     I'm  coming  up." 

These  words  filled  Bart  with  a  feeling  of  im- 
mense relief.  He  now  heard  Pat  moving  again, 
and  at  length  saw  him  ascending.  Nearer  he 
came,  and  nearer.  But  Bart  noticed  that  he  did 
not  have  the  pickaxe.  He  feared  by  this  that  it 
had  been  buried  beneath  the  fallen  logs.  If  so, 
their  situation  was  as  desperate  as  ever.  But  he 
said  not  a  word. 


ALARU. 


193 


business 
'*  an  tho 


(vatching 
half  way 
go  down. 
;th  disap- 
bim  as  he 
stillness. 


i,  for  he 
ailed,  he 

n't  come 

g  of  im- 
g  again, 
arer  he 
i  he  did 

that  it 
If  so, 

But  be 


Pat  at  length  reached  the  place  where  Bart  was, 
and  flung  himself  down,  panting  heavily.  Bart 
watched  him  in  silence. 

"  The  pickaxe  is  buried,"  said  he  at  length,  "  I 
suppose." 

"  Worse,"  said  Pat,  with  something  like  a  groan. 

"  Worse  ?  "  repeated  Bart  in  dismay. 

"  Yis,  worse,"  said  Pat.  '*  The  water's  comin  in. 
There's  six  feet  of  it,  an  more  too.  The  hole's 
flooded,  an  fillin  up." 

At  this  awful  intelligence  Bart  sat  petrified 
with  horror,  and  said  not  one  word. 

"  It's  the  diggin  away  at  the  casin,"  said  Pat, 
dolefully,  "  an  the  cuttin  away  of  the  earth,  that's 
done  the  business,  so  it  is.  I  can  onderstand 
it  all  easy  enough.  Sure  this  pit's  close  by  tho 
money-hole,  an  the  bottom  of  it's  close  by  the 
drain  that  they  towld  us  of.  An  them  that  made 
this  hole  didn't  dare  to  go  one  inch  further.  An 
that's  the  very  thing,  so  it  is,  that  we've  done. 
We've  cut,  and  dug,  and  broke  through  into  the 
drain.  What's  worse,  all  the  casin  an  all  the  earth's 
broke  and  fallen  down.  An  there's  no  knowin  the 
mischief  we've  done.  Any  how,  we've  broke 
through  to  the  "  drain  "  —  bad  luck  to  it ;  and  the 
water's  jist  now  a  powerin  in  fast  enough.  Sure 
it's  got  to  the  top  of  them  logs  that  we  stood  upon 
end  —  the  long  ones;  and  they're  more'n  six  feet 
long,  an  it's  risin  ivery  minit,  so  it  is,  an  it's  comin 
up,  an  it'll  soon  be  up  to  this  place,  so  it  will.  An 
13 


i 


194 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


?i< 


Biire  it^s  lost  an  done  for  wo  are  intirely,  an  there 
you  have  it." 

After  this  dreadful  intelligence,  not  a  word  was 
spoken  for  a  lou(j  time.  Pat  had  said  his  say,  and 
had  nothing  to  add  to  it.  Bart  had  heard  it,  and  had 
nothing  to  say.  He  was  dumb.  They  were  help 
less.  They  could  go  no  farther.  Hero  they  were 
on  this  log,  half  way  up  the  pit,  but  unable  to  as- 
cend any  further,  and  with  the  prospect  before 
thera  of  swift  and  inevitable  destruction. 

They  had  worked  long  and  diligently.  Not  ouo 
mouthful  had  thev  eaten  since  raornine:;  but  in 
their  deep  anxiety,  they  had  felt  no  hunger.  They 
had  labored  as  those  only  can  labor  who  are  strug- 
gling for  life.  And  this  was  the  end.  But  all  this 
time  they  had  not  been  conscious  of  the  passage  of 
the  hours ;  yet  those  hours  had  been  flying  by  none 
the  less.  Time  had  been  passing  during  their  long 
labor  at  the  logs  below  —  how  much  time  they  had 
never  suspected. 

The  first  indication  which  they  had  of  this 
lapse  of  time  was  the  discovery  which  they  now 
made  of  a  gradually  increasing  gloom.  At  first 
they  attributed  this  to  the  gathering  of  clouds 
ever  the  sky  above ;  but  after  a  time  the  gloom  in- 
creased to  an  extent  which  made  itself  apparent 
even  to  their  despairing  minds.  And  what  was  it? 
Could  it  be  twilight?  Could  it  be  evening?  Was 
it  possible  that  the  day  had  passed  away?  Long 
indeed  had  the  time  seemed ;  yet,  even  in  spite  of 


THE  IMPENDING  DOOM. 


195 


y,  an  there 

a  word  was 
lis  say,  and 
i  it,  and  had 
were  help 
)  they  were 
lable  to  as- 
)ect  before 
n. 

^  Not  ouo 
ng;  but  in 
iger.     They 

0  are  strug- 
But  all  this 

e  passage  of 
ing  by  none 
ig  their  long 
ne  they  had 

lad  of  this 
h  they  now 
n.  At  first 
r  of  clouds 
he  gloom  in- 
slf  apparent 
vhat  was  it? 
ning?  Was 
vay  ?    Long 

1  in  spite  of 


this,  they  felt  an  additional  shock  at  this  discovery. 
Yet  it  was  true.  It  was  evening.  The  day  was 
done.  They  two  had  passed  the  day  in  this  pit. 
This  was  night  that  was  now  coming  swiftly  on. 

They  remained  motionless  and  silent.  Nothing 
could  be  done ;  and  the  thoughts  of  each  were  too 
deep  for  utterance.  Words  were  useless  now.  In 
the  mind  of  each  there  was  an  awful  expectation  of 
a  doom  that  was  coming  upon  them  —  inevitable, 
swift,  terrible  !  They  could  only  await  it  in  dumb 
despair. 

Night  was  coming,  adding  by  its  darkness  to  the 
horror  of  their  situation.  Death  in  daylight  is  bad 
enough,  but  in  the  dark  how  much  worse  1  And 
the  fate  that  threatened  them  appeared  wherever 
they  might  turn  their  eyes  —  above,  in  the  shape 
of  that  broken  beam  which  yet  in  the  twilight  ap- 
peared defined  in  a  shadowy  form  against  the  dim 
sky ;  around,  in  this  treacherous  casing,  which, 
being  undermined,  might  at  any  moment  fall,  like 
the  lower  portion,  and  crush  them  ;  beneath,  most 
awfully,  and  most  surely,  are  those  dark,  stealthy, 
secret  waters  which  had  come  in  from  the  "  drain  '^ 
upon  them  as  though  to  punish  their  rashness,  and 
make  them  pay  for  it  with  their  lives.  In  the  midst 
of  all  these  fears  they  remembered  the  supersti- 
tious words  of  the  man  whom  they  had  questioned, 
"  Flesh  and  blood  will  never  lay  hands  on  that 
treasure,  unless  there's  a  sacrifice  made — the 
sacrifice  of  human  life  I "  Such  was  the  declaration 


i  I 


196 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


of  the  man  on  the  shore,  and  this  declaration  now 
made  itself  remembered.  The  sacrifice  of  life. 
What  life  ?  Was  it  theirs  ?  Were  thoy,  then,  the 
destined  victims  ?  Awful  thought  I  Yet  how  else 
could  it  be  ?  Yes,  that  declaration  was  a  prophecy, 
and  that  prophecy  was  being  fulfilled  in  them.  But 
0,  how  hard  it  was  to  die  thus  I  so  young !  in 
such  a  way  I  to  die  when  no  friends  were  near ! 
and  where  their  iate  would  never,  never  be  known 
to  those  friends. 


B 


'1^.^' 


THE  MISSING  BOYS. 


197 


aration  now 
fice  of  life, 
y,  then,  the 
Tet  how  else 
a  prophecy, 
1  them.  But 
young!  in 
were  near! 
ir  be  known 


XVI. 

Waking  from  a  sound  Sleep.  —  The  Missing  Ones, 
—  An  earnest  Debate.  —  Various  Theories.  — 
Fishing  versus  Sailing.  —  Afloat  or  Ashore.  — 
Emotion  of  the  venerable  Corbet.  —  His  solemn 
Declaration.  —  The  Antelope  or  the  Wlialer.  — 
Slick  to  the  Antelope.  —  A  new  Arrival.  —  Tlie 
Landlord's  View  of  the  Case.  —  New  Doubts  and 
Perplexities.  — ^^ Afloat  or  Ashore^ ^  again.  —  TJie 
Landlord's  View  of  the  Sailing  Theory,  and  his 
Decision  in  Favor  of  the  Fishing  Hypothesis.  — 
TJie  Lost  Ones  must  be  camping  out  for  the 
Night. 

^HB  boys  at  the  inn  slept  soundly,  and  did  not 
wake  until  after  their  usual  time.  On  going 
down  to  breakfast,  they  looked  about  for 
Bart  and  Pat.  At  first  they  thought  that  their 
two  friends  had  already  taken  their  breakfast,  and 
gone  out;  but  an  incidental  remark  of  the  land- 
lady made  known  to  them  the  fact  that  they  had 
not  been  back  to  the  inn  at  all.  This  intelligence 
they  received  with  serious  faces,  and  looks  of  sur- 
prise and  uneasiness. 


♦fit 


198 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


"  I  wonder  what  can  be  the  meaning  of  it,"  said 
Bruce. 

"  It's  queer,"  said  Arthur. 

"  They  were  very  mysterious  about  going,  in  the 
first  place,"  said  Tom.  "  I  don't  see  what  sense 
there  was  in  making  such  a  secret  about  it.  They 
must  have  gone  some  distance." 

"  Perhaps  they  didn't  think  we'd  be  back  so 
soon,"  said  PhiJ,  "  and  have  planned  their  own 
affair,  whatever  it  is,  to  last  as  long  as  ours." 

"  0,  they  must  have  known,"  said  Bruce,  "  that 
we'd  be  back  to-day.  Aspotogon  is  only  a  few 
miles.  In  fact  we  ought  to  have  been  back  yester- 
day, in  time  for  tea,  by  rights." 

"Where   in   the  world   could  they  have   gone 

to?"  said  Arthur. 

« 

"  0,  fishing,  of  course,"  said  Tom. 
"  But  they  ought  to  have  been  back  last  night." 
"  0,  they've  found  some  first-rate  sport." 
"  After  all,"  said  Phil,  "  there  wasn't  any  actual 
reason  for  them  to  come  back.    None  of  us  are  in 
any  hurry." 

"  Yes ;  but  they  may  have  got  into  some  scrape," 
said  Bruce.  "Such  a  thing  is  not  inconceivable. 
It  strikes  me  that  several  members  of  this  party 
have  alread}"  got  into  scrapes  now  and  then ;  and 
80  I'm  rather  inclined  to  think  that  the  turn  has 
come  round  to  Bart  and  Pat." 

"  What  I'm  inclined  to  think,"  said  Arthur,  "  is, 
that  they've  gone  off  in  a  boat  for  a  sail  before 
breakfast,  and  havo  come  in  prief  somehow." 


AN   EARN£ST  DEBATE. 


199 


"  Well,  if  they  tried  a  sail-boat,  they  were  pretty 
sure  of  that,*'  said  Tom. 

'^  Yes,"  said  Phil ;  **  neither  Bart  nor  Pat  know 
anything  more  about  sailing  a  boat  than  a  cow 
does." 

"  At  any  rate,"  said  Bruce,  "  they  can't  have 
fallen  into  any  very  serious  danger." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  There  ha  ai't  been  any  wind  worth  speaking  of." 

*'  Neither  there  has." 

*•  But  there  was  some  wind  yesterday  morning," 
said  Arthur.  "  It  carried  us  to  Aspotogon  very 
well." 

"  Pooh  !  Such  a  wind  as  that  wouldn't  do  any- 
thing.    A  child  might  have  sailed  a  boat." 

"  0,  I  don't  know.  That  wind  might  have 
caught  tliem  off  some  island,  and  capsized  them." 

"  I  don't  believe  that  wind  could  have  capsized 
even  a  paper  boat,"  said  Phil ;  "  but  still  Pm  in- 
clined to  think,  after  all,  that  they've  met  with 
some  sort  of  an  accident  in  a  boat." 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  said  Tom.  ''  They  couldn't 
meet  with  any  kind  of  accident.  My  opinion  is, 
that  they  went  off  fishing,  kept  at  it  all  day,  got 
too  far  away  to  think  of  coming  back  last  night,  and 
so  very  naturally  put  up  at  some  farm-house,  where 
they  have  by  this  time  eaten  a  good,  rattling  break- 
fast, and  are  on  their  way  back,  walking  like  the 
very  mischief."  - 

"  The  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  too/'  said 


s:i 


1.' 

i'i 
1-4 


200 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


Bruce.  '*  I  quite  agree  with  Tom.  It^s  just  wliat 
any  other  two  of  us  fellows  would  have  done.  In 
the  first  place,  they  backed  out  of  the  Aspotogon 
expedition  very  quietly,  so  as  not  to  make  a  fuss, 
then  they  went  off,  and,  as  Tom  says,  got  too  far  to 
come  back;  though  whether  they've  had  such  a 
tremendous  adventure  as  ours  at  Deep  Cove  with 
the  shark  is  a  matter  that  has  yet  to  be  decided." 

This  first  allusion  to  the  shark  was  received  by 
all  the  party  with  a  solemn  smile. 

"  Well,"  said  Arthur,  "  I  believe  they  Ve  taken  to 
a  boat.     Perhaps  they've  gone  cruising  about." 

"  But  they  couldn't  have  been  capsized." 

"  No." 

"  Then  how  do  you  account  for  their  absence  ?  " 

"  Easily  enough,"  said  Phil.  "  I  believe  they've 
gone  visiting  some  of  the  islands,  and  somehow 
they've  lost  their  sail,  or  their  oars,  or  else  they've 
been  careless  about  fastening  the  boat,  and  she's 
drifted  away.  And  so  I  dare  say  that  at  this  very 
moment  they  are  on  some  desert  island  in  this  bay, 
within  a  mile  or  so  of  this  town,  looking  out  for 
help ;  but  if  they  are,  they  must  bo  pretty  hungry 
by  this  time,  for  it  isn't  every  island  that  can  furnish 
such  a  bill  of  fare  as  He  Haute  gave  to  Tom." 

"  A  perfectly  natural  explanation,"  said  Arthur. 
"  Those  two  fellows  are  both  so  abominably  care- 
less, that,  if  they  did  go  ashore  on  any  island,  they'd 
be  almost  certain  to  leave  the  boat  loose  on  the 
beach,  to  float  away  wherever  it  liked.     I  believe, 


r 


CONJECTURES. 


201 


just  what 
done.  In 
ispotogon 
ke  a  fuss, 
too  far  to 
id  such  a 
Dove  with 
ecided." 
reived  by 


3  taken  to 
bout." 


n 


)sence  ?  " 
a  they've 
somehow 
3  they  Ve 
md  she's 
this  verv 
this  bay, 
'  out  for 
'  hungry 
1  furnish 

Arthur. 
t)ly  care- 
3,  they'd 
►  on  the 
believe, 


as  Phil  says,  that  they're  on  some  island  not  far 


11 


away 

"  I  don't/'  said  Bruce.  "  I  believe  that  they 
went  fishing." 

"Well,  what  are  we  to  do  about  it?  Oughtn't 
we  to  hunt  them  up  ?  "  said  Phil. 

"  I  don't  see  the  use,"  said  Tom.  "  They'll  be 
along  by  dinner  time." 

"  Well,  for  my  part,"  said  Arthur,  **  I  can't  sit 
here  and  leave  them  to  their  fate.  I  believe  they 
are  in  a  fix,  and  consequently  I  intend  tc  go  oflf  to 
hunt  them  up." 

"  So  will  1,"  said  Phil. 

"  Well,  of  course,  if  you  go,  Pll  go  too,"  said 
Bruce. 

"  So  will  I,"  said  Tom ;  "  though  I  don't  believe 
there's  the  slightest  necessity.  Bart  and  Pat'il 
turn  up  somewhere  about  noon,  and  find  us  gone. 
They'll  then  go  ofi"  in  search  of  us.  Well,  it'll 
amount  to  the  same  thing  in  the  end,  and  so,  per- 
haps, it's  the  best  way  there  can  be  of  filling  up 
the  time." 

"  I  wonder  if  the  Antelope's  got  back,"  said 
Bruce. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  Suppose  we  go  down  and  talk  it  over  with 
Captain  Corbet." 

"All  right." 

With  these  words  the  boys  rose  from  the  break- 
fast table,  and  went  down  to  the  wharf.     As  they 


202 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


Utllll  l{  I    11   III 


approached  they  saw  tho  Antelope  lying  there  at 
her  former  berth;  for  she  had  arrived  about  an 
hour  belbre,  and  had  come  here. 

''  Wal,  boys,"  said  ho,  as  ho  saw  them,  "  here  wo 
air  once  more,  jined  together  as  before ;  though 
whether  you  did  well  in  a  desertin  of  the  ship  in 
mid-ocean  is  a  pint  that  I  don't  intend  to  decide. 
You  might  as  well  have  turned  into  your  old  quar- 
ters aboard,  an  slep  calm  an  comfortable,  instead 
of  rowin  six  or  eight  mile  by  night.  However, 
you  don't  none  o*  you  look  any  the  wuss  for  it,  an 
so  we'll  let  bygones  be  bygones.  Ony  I'm  pleased, 
likewise  relieved,  to  see  you  here,  instead  of  havin 
to  lam  that  you're  among  the  missin,  an  probably 
roamin  the  seas  in  a  open  boat.  An  where,  may  I 
ask,  air  Bart  and  Pat?" 

The  answer  to  this  question  plunged  the  good 
Corbet  from  the  comfort  in  which  he  had  settled 
himself,  down  into  the  depths  of  anxiety  and  wor- 
riment. 

"  What !  Not  back  yit  ?  "  he  said.  "  You  don't 
say  so.     Is  this  railly  so  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  What  I  all  yesterday,  an  all  last  night  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  An  no  word  of  partin  —  and  no  directions  as  to 
where  they  went,  an  when  they'd  return  ?  " 

"  Not  a  word." 

"  An  nobody  seen  them  go  ?  '* 

"  No." 


EMOTION   OP  THE   VENEFwABLE   CORBET. 


203 


"  An  nobody's  seen  anythin  of  them  at  all  ?  " 

"  No,  nothing."    >..     ■ 

"An  you  don't  even  know  whether  they're  in 
danger  or  safety  ?  " 

"No." 

"  Nor  even  whether  they're  on  land  or  wa- 
ter?'' 

«  No." 

Captain  Corbet  shook  his  head  slowly  and  sadly, 
and  turned  away  with  the  profoundest  dejection 
and  melancholy  depicted  upon  his  venerable  yet 
expressive  features. 

"Tom  and  I  think  they've  gone  off  fishing," 
continued  Bruce,  who  had  told  the  tale  of  woe ; 
"but  Arthur  and  Phil  are  afraid  that  they've 
gone  off  in  a  boat,  and  have  met  with  some  acci- 
dent. They're  determined  to  go  off  to  hunt  them 
up,  and  we've  concluded  to  go  too,  as  we  don't 
care  about  staying  behind  doing  nothing ;  though, 
at  the  same  lime,  we  don't  believe  they've  come 
to  any  harm,  and  we  think  they'll  be  coming 
after  us.  We  thought  we'd  let  you  know ;  and 
perhaps  we'd  better  put  off  in  the  Antelope, 
unless  you  think  a  small  boat  would  be  better." 

"  0,  yes,"  said  Arthur,  "  let's  go  in  a  small 
boat.  The  Antelope  won't  do.  There'll  be  anoth- 
er calm,  and  we'll  have  to  stand  still  and  do  noth- 
ing." 

"  We  could  get  one  of  these  whalers,"  said  Phil, 
pointing  to  a  number  of  boats  at  the  wharf. 


,  ! 


204 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


These  boats  were  sharp  at  each  end,  and  were 
therefore  called  "  whalers  "  on  account  of  their 
shape,  and  not  because  they  were  over  used,  or 
ever  intended  to  be  used,  against  whales.  They 
were  large  and  capacious,  and  well  ballasted; 
while,  at  the  same  time,  they  were  not  too  large 
to  be  rowed,  in  case  of  calms  or  head  winds. 

"  0,  bother  the  whalers,"  said  Tom ;  *'  let's  stick 
to  the  Antelope,  whatever  we  do.  Whenever  we 
leave  the  Antelope,  we're  sure  to  come  to  grief. 
Besides,  I  don't  like  to  have  to  stuif  myself  into  a 
little  open  boat.  I  like  to  move  about,  and  walk 
up  and  down,  and  change  my  position." 

*'  So  do  I,  for  that  matter,"  said  Phil ;  "  but  then, 
you  know,  we  may  be  caught  in  a  calm,  as  we 
were  last  night." 

"  0,  there's  lots  of  wind  now." 

''  But  it  mightn't  last." 

"  Then,  if  it  don't,  we  can  take  to  the  boat." 

*'  What,  our  little  row-boat  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  why  not  ?  " 

"  Why,  we  can't  go  any  distance  in  her ;  she's 
too  small." 

"  0,  let's  get  a  whaler,"  said  Arthur,  "  and  then 
we'll  be  ready  for  wind  or  calm." 

"  Well,"  said  Bruce, ''  if  I  thought  that  Bart  and 
Pat  were  really  out  anywhere  in  the  bay,  Pd  say, 
take  a  whaler ;  but  as  I  consider  this  expedition  a 
wild-goose  chase,  I  go  in  for  comfort,  and  vote  for 
the  Antelope.'' 


STICK  TO  THE   ANTELOPE. 


205 


"  Well,  we  won^t  do  anything ;  that^s  all ;  and  if 
they  are  in  danger,  we'll  bo  sorry  for  it." 

"  0,  I'll  run  the  risk." 

"  We're  a  tie,"  said  Phil.  "  Let's  give  Captain 
Corbet  the  casting  vote.  Come,  captain,  what  do 
you  say  about  it  ?  Do  you  think  they're  on  land 
or  water  ?  and  do  you  advise  a  whaler  or  the  An- 
telope ?  " 

"  Me  ?  '*'  said  Captain  Corbet,  mournfully.  "  Me  ? 
Wal,  for  my  part,  I've  come  to  believe  the  wust. 
I  believe  them  two  air  at  this  moment  on  some 
lone  rock  of  the  deep,  gazin  in  despair  upon  the 
waste  of  water,  and  lookiu  wildly  in  all  directions 
for  help.  And  so  it  ever  hath  been,  and  ever  shall 
be.  Amen.  For  my  part,  I'm  free  to  say,  that  I 
never  see,  nor  never  hear  tell  of,  nor  never  even 
dreamt  of  the  likes  of  you.  If  you  get  out  of  my 
sight  for  one  moment,  you're  sure  to  be  engaged 
in  reskin  your  lives  about  nothin.  An  I'll  give 
up.  If  Providence  restores  them  two,  I  hereby 
declar  solemn,  that  it's  my  fixed  intention  to  start 
right  straight  off  for  hum ;  never  to  stop  at  one 
single  place,  nor  even  to  go  near  any  land,  till  I 
touch  the  wharf  at  Grand  Pr^.  What  this  here's 
goin  to  end  in  beats  me;  and  this  last  business 
does  beat  my  grandmother.  As  for  you,  I  advise 
you  to  stick  to  the  Antelope,  and  sail  under  the 
old  flag.     Them's  my  sentiments." 

This  advice  of  Captain  Corbet  was  accepted  as 
his  decision,  and  so  it  was  resolved  to  set  off  in 


iunu  i 


206 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


K^^^' 


ml 


tho  Antelopo,  and  cruise  round  the  bay.  Such  a 
search  was,  of  course,  not  very  promising ;  but 
Arthur  and  Phil  had  a  vague  idea  that  in  the 
course  of  the  cruise  they  would  see  the  two  miss- 
ing ones  making  signals  of  distress  from  some 
lonely  island,  and  that  thus  they  might  be  rescued. 
As  for  Captain  Corbet,  ho  still  remained  melan- 
choly, though  not  at  all  despairing  ;  for  though  he 
insisted  that  the  boys  were  in  some  danger,  he  yet 
believed  that  they  would  be  rescued  from  it. 

In  the  midst  of  this  conversation,  they  were  in- 
terrupted by  the  appearance  of  the  landlord.  He 
had  just  returned  from  that  journey  up  the  coun- 
try, which  had  prevented  him  from  accompanying 
them  to  Aspotogon  on  the  previous  day.  He  had 
learned  at  the  inn  the  state  of  affairs,  and  had  at 
once  come  down  to  the  wharf.  The  boys,  on  the 
other  hand,  knowing  that  he  had  been  up  the 
country,  thought  it  possible  that  he  might  have 
seen  or  heard  something  of  their  missing  friends ; 
and  therefore,  no  sooner  had  he  made  his  appear- 
ance, than  they  all  hurried  to  meet  him,  and 
poured  upon  him  a  whole  torrent  of  questions. 

The  landlord's  answer  was  a  complete  defeat  of 
all  their  hopes.  He  had  seen  nothing  of  Bart  and 
Pat,  and  had  heard  nothing  of  them.  He  had 
known  nothing  of  their  departure,  and  nothing  of 
their  absence,  until  a  few  moments  before,  on  his 
arrival  home.  He  himself  had  to  question  them 
to  find  out  the  facts  of  the  case. 


THE  landlord's  VIEW   OP  THE  CASE.  207 


Such  a 
ling;  but 
at  in  the 
two  miss- 
)m    some 

rescued. 
d  molan- 
hough  lie 
T,  he  yet 
I  it. 

were  in- 
3rd.  He 
the  coun- 
apanying 

He  had 
id  had  at 
s,  on  the 

up   the 

ht   have 

friends ; 

appear- 
im,   and 

ons. 

efeat  of 
Bart  and 
He   had 

hing  of 
on  his 

n  them 


Of  the  facts  of  the  case,  however,  they  them- 
selves were,  unfortunately,  quite  ignorant.  They 
had  nothing  to  communicato  but  fancies,  conjec- 
tures, and  speculations,  more  or  less  plausible, 
such  as  they  had  just  been  discussing.  To  thes^ 
the  landlord  listened  with  the  profoundost  atten- 
tion and  the  deepest  gravity,  and  then  considered 
them  all  in  succession. 

"  I  can't  say,"  said  he,  at  length,  "  that  I  see  any 
danger  for  them  in  any  way.  Praps  they've  gone 
in  a  boat,  an  praps  they've  gone  fishing.  If 
they've  gone  in  a  boat,  why,  there  hasn't  been  wind 
enough  to  capsize  a  walnut-shell.  An  as  to  getting 
on  an  island,  I  don't  see  how  their  boat  could  drift 
away,  unless  they  made  it  go,  and  actually  shoved 
it  off  on  purpose.  You  must  remember  that  this 
bay  ain't  like  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  There  ain't  any 
tides  or  currents  hero  worth  mentioning.  The 
tide  only  rises  and  falls  six  or  seven  feet,  and  the 
current.:  are  so  trifling  that  they  ain't  worth  con- 
sidering. If  these  boys  have  got  on  an  island  and 
been  left  there,  it's  a  puzzle  to  me  how  on  earth 
they  managed  it.  Then,  again,  there  are  boats  and 
schooners  passing  backward  and  forward  almost 
all  the  time,  and  if  they  had  got  ashore  anywhere, 
they'd  have  been  got  off  by  this  time.  So  it's  my 
opinion  that  they  haven't  gone  off  in  a  boat,  but 
that  they've  gone  fishing.  If  they've  gone  fish- 
ing, it's  the  most  likely  thing  in  the  world  for  them 
to  go  off  a  good  bit,  and  not  be  able  to  get  back 


V''fX 


..'•"^'.mwi^^    mm 


208 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


the  same  day.  The  only  trouble  about  this  is,-^ 
that  they  wouldu't  be  likely  to  go  away  on  foot; 
and  if  they  got  a  wagon,  they'd  be  most  likely  to 
take  it  from  the  hotel ;  but  that's  just  what  they 
haven't  done.  So  there's  a  fresh  puzzle  on  top  of 
the  others." 

"  0,  I  think  they'd  be  just  as  likely  to  walk  as 
not." 

"  Well,  then,  there's  another  puzzle.  Where 
could  they  go  ?  They  never  made  any  inquiries. 
We  had  a  long  talk  the  night  before  last,  but  not 
a  word  was  said  about  fishing.  If  they'd  been  in- 
tending to  go  fishing,  they'd  have  asked ;  wouldn't 
they  ?  Of  course  they  would.  That  stands  to 
reason.'^ 

"  0,  I  dare  say  they  got  up  early,  and  a  sudden 
notion  took  them,  and  they  started  off  without  hav- 
ing any  particular  place  in  view." 

"  Well,  that's  not  unlikely,"  said  the  landlord ; 
"  and  if  they  did,  why,  all  I've  got  to  say  is,  they'd 
have  a  precious  long  walk  of  it,  for  there  isn't 
any  really  decent  fishing  within  less  than  nine  or 
ten  miles  ;  and  so,  if  they  walked  that,  and  then 
went  up  stream,  why,  b}'"  the  time  they'd  finished, 
they'd  have  walked  ten  miles  more ;  and  so,  a^l  to- 
gether, they'd  make  a  precious  good  day's  work 
of  it,  —  work  enough,  in  fact,  to  make  them  rather 
indifferent  about  hurrying  back  here  —  especially 
when  they'd  have  to  do  it  on  foot." 

"  I  suppose  they'd  find  houses  to  stop  at," 


THE  LOST  0NE3   MUST   BS   CAMPING   OUT. 


209 


is.,  =  t 


this  is,-=— 
y  on  foot; 
3t  likely  to 
what  they 

on  top  of 

bo  walk  as 


"0,  yes,  there  are  houses  enough;  but  it  de- 
pends on  what  direction  they  went.  In  some 
places,  they'd  have  to  camp  out  for  the  night." 

"  Well,  they    understand    that    well    enough," 
said  Tom.     "  Bart  and  Pat  can  put  up  as  neat  a 
camp  as  any  two  fellows  going." 
14 


Where 
inquiries, 
it,  but  not 
d  been  in- 
;  wouldn't 
stands  to 

.  a  sudden 
thout  hav- 

landlord ; 
is,  they'd 
ihere  isn't 
n  nine  or 
and  then 
1  finished, 
so,  a-l  to- 
ay's  work 
em  rather 
Bspecially 


It." 


1  "^ 


i^t^^ti^'^ 

>^^^l|^ 

mm 

^S 

H 

•fitm 

^^^1 

l^^^HH 

^*   |dpl 

^HH 

^■sf 

H 

kr 

^li 

"1  sW* 
f  '1  ^J 

lijnl 

HH 

j^.W'M 

"     *■   tjfclQ 

jjhgjSj^jJH 

t.>^ 

^^^B 

HH 

Jfl 

^H 

-rt  i 

mii 

J'''';V>fjr 

^fW<^l| 

'"'2 

dlll 

IP 

''':  <^ 

mLm 

k'  ■^  2 

!M|RL<!ww 

wl 

*d^  M 

^^Bv^ 

«41 

SHI 

ii!i 


'i'  ?■<  I 


210 


THE   TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


XVII. 

A  new  Arrival.  —  The  ^'long-shore  ManJ^  —  A 
strange  and  startling  Tale.  —  Fears  once  more 
awakened.  —  The  Stranger^s  superstitious  Dread. 
—  The  Boat  founds  hut  the  Boys  gone.  —  The 
Landlord's  Statement,  —  Fears  confirmed  and  in- 
creased.—  Off  to  the  Bescue. —  Oak  Island.  —  The 
empty  Boat. —  Where  are  the  Boys?  —  The  flooded 
Pits.  —  No  Signs  of  the  Missing  Ones.  —  The 
grisly  Theory  of  Boach.  —  Kidd  and  his  Gang. 

^HE  remarks  of  the  landlord  served  to  weaken 
the  belief  of  Arthur  and  Phil  in  their  theory 
of  the  boat,  and  they  began  to  doubt  the 
expediency  of  setting  off  in  the  Antelope.  The 
easy  way  also  in  which  the  landlord  met  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  case,  and  accounted  for  everything, 
had  a  very  great  effect  in  diminishing,  if  not  in  de- 
stroying, the  anxiety  which  they  had  begun  to  feel. 
They  had  nothing  to  offer  in  reply,  and  they  natu- 
rally gave  up  their  proposal.  They  began  to  think 
that  the  absentees  might  make  their  appearance 
at  any  moment,  and  that  under  the  circumstances 
it  would  be  very  unwise   to  start  off  on  a  long, 


A    NEW    ARRIVAL. 


211 


l^f- 


an."  —  A 
once  more 
ous  Dread, 
one.  —  The 
ted  and  in- 
md.  —  The 
The  flooded 
nes.  —  The 
his  Gang. 

[  to  weaken 
heir  theory 
doubt  the 
lope.  The 
et  the  diffi- 
3verythiiig, 
f  not  in  de- 
gun  to  feel. 
[  they  natu- 
;an  to  think 
appearance 
cumstances 
'  on  a  long, 


uncertain,  and  unprofitable  cruise  in  the  Antelope. 
And  thus  it  was  that  the  whole  party  came  to  the 
conclusion  to  remain  where  they  were,  and  wait 
for  Bart  and  Pat. 

With  this  intention  they  all  went  back  to  the  inn. 
On  arriving  there,  they  found  a  man  who  had  just 
come  to  the  house,  :ind  was  waiting  to  find  the 
landlord.  He  looked  like  one  of  those  half  farm- 
ers, half  fishers,  who  live  about  Mahone  Bay ;  and 
the  boys  would  not  have  paid  any  attention  to  him, 
had  they  not  been  startled  by  his  first  words. 

"  It's  about  a  couple  o'  lads,"  said  he,  ^' jest  like 
them  there.  I'm  afraid  there's  somethin  gone 
wrong  with  ^em." 

At  the  mention  of  ''  a  couple  o'  lads  jest  like 
them  there,"  all  the  boys  started,  and  gathered 
round  the  stranger  with  eager  and  anxious  curi- 
osity.   .  -v 

"  Ye  see,"  continued  the  man,  "  it  was  yester- 
day morn'n,  — an  them  two  come  a  knockin  at  my 
door  about  sunrise,  or  not  much  arter,  and  asked 
the  way  to  Oak  Island." 

"  Oak  Island !  "  repeated  tiie  landlord,  in  a 
strange  voice.  The  other  boys  noticed  his  tone, 
but  as  they  knew  nothing  whatever  of  the  char- 
acter of  Oak  Island,  they  were  of  course  unable 
to  understand  the  cause  of  it,  or  the  meaning  of 
those  words. 

"  It  seems  they  was  a  huntin  up  the  way  there," 
continued  the  man.   "  They  had  a  boat  with  them." 


' :  tm 


i-T^   .S*"?? 


212 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


*'  A  boat  ?  "  said  the  landlord ;  "  a  sail-boat,  or 
row-boat  ?  " 

"  A  sail-boat/'  said  the  man.  "  They  were  stran- 
gers —  that  was  evident :  and  they  wanted  to  find 
Oak  Island.  Wal,  I  showed  them  the  island,  for 
it  can  be  seen  pl^^in  enough  from  my  door.  My 
name's  Roach,  an  I  live  on  the  shore  up  there.  So 
we  had  some  talk  about  the  treasure,  an  they  asked 
me  if  I  believed.  An  I  says,  *  Yes,  I  do.'  For  at 
first  they  thought  I  didn't  believe.  But  I  did,  an 
I  do.  And  I  says  to  them,  says  I,  '  Flesh  an  blood 
won't  never  lay  hands  on  that  thar  treasure  till 
there's  a  sacrifice  of  human  life  took  place.'  That's 
what  I  says,  in  so  many  words.  Wal,  some  more 
words  followed,  an  then  them  two  went  on  an 
steered  to  the  island. 

"  Wal,  I  don't  know  how  it  was,  but  I  kep  a 
thinkin  about  them  two  all  day  long.  At  last  I 
fell  a  wonderin  why  they  didn't  come  back.  There 
wasn't  no  sign  of  any  boat  a  comin  back  from  that 
island.  They  was  on  it,  I  knowed  ;  an  why  they 
staid  on  it  I  couldn't  make  out.  It  began  to 
bother  me.  An  all  the  time  I  couldn't  help  thinkin 
of  what  I  told  em,  an  the  words  kep  a  ringin  in 
my  ears  as  to  how  that  there's  got  to  be  a  sacrifice 
of  human  life  before  the  treasure's  riz  out  of  the 
hole  whar  the  pirates  buried  it.  An  I  couldn't 
get  them  words  out  o'  my  head.  An  what's  more, 
I  got  a  thinkin  that  them  two  lads  was  kine  o'  con- 
nected with  them  words,  —  jest  as  if  it  was  a  sort 


y 


1-boat,  or 

ere  stran- 
ed  to  find 
sland,  for 
loor.  My 
;here.  So 
tiey  asked 
.'  For  at 
1 1  did,  an 
1  an  blood 
lasure  till 
qJ  That's 
ome  more 
mt  on  an 

t  I  kep  a 
At  last  I 
!k.  There 
from  that 
why  they 
began  to 
Ip  thinkin 
ringin  in 
a  sacrifice 
out  of  the 
'.  couldn't 
at's  more, 
ine  o'  con- 
vsras  a  sort 


T 


A   STRANGE  AND   STARTLING   TALE. 


213 


o'  prophecy  like,  that  Fd  gone  an  spoke,  —  not 
knowin,  an  not  intendin  it,  you  know,  but  givin  a 
prophecy  all  the  Fame,  —  as  is  gen'rally  the  case, 
you  know ;  for  often  it  happens  that  them  that 
prophesies  hain't  got  no  intention  of  so  doin,  an 
l.ain'o  got  no  reel  idee  of  the  meanin  of  what 
they're  say  in.  An  that  was  jest  the  case  with  me, 
an  it  was  only  afterwards  that  these  thoughts 
come. 

"  Wal,  all  day  long  I  was  in  this  state,  an  felt 
dreadful  anxious,  an  more  an  more  so  as  the  day 
went  by.  It  was  yesterday.  An  I  see  no  signs 
of  that  thar  boat  a  comin  back.  An  when  evenin 
come  I  begun  to  leel  pooty  skeart,  an  I'd  a  gone 
off  then  but  darsn't,  for  fear  of  the  ghosts  of  them 
old  pirates  thit  prowl  around  on  the  island  arter 
dark.  I  didn't  close  my  eyes  all  last  night,  or  sleep 
a  wink,  for  thinkin  o'  them  two  lads.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  I'd  been  kine  o'  to  blame  —  though  whar 
the  blame  was,  no  one  can  say,  for  I  was  as  inno- 
cent of  blame  as  a  babe  unborn.  But  so  it  was, 
an  I  couldn't  sleep.  Wal,  this  morn'n  I  was  up 
before  dawn,  an  into  my  boat,  an  off  for  the  island. 
I  got  thar  about  sunrise. 

"  Wal,  I  landed  thar,  on  Oak  Island,  an  the  fust 
thing  I  see  was  that  thar  identical  boat  that  the 
boys  had  —  the  very  one.  I  couldn't  mistake  it ; 
an  it  lay  hauled  up  on  the  beach,  an  tied  thar.  But 
thar  wasn't  any  sign  of  any  boys  anywhars.  I 
called,  an  shouted,   but  no  answer   come.     Wal, 


t 

4 


h"^     ! 


1^-4  ?, 


PJ 


iiiiii'  m]\ 


214 


THE   TREASURE   OP  THE   SEAS. 


tt^en  I  walked  up  some  distance,  an  loojced  all 
around  everywhars.  'Tain't  much  of  an  island  in 
size  ;  so  I  soon  walked  all  round  it;  but  I  didn't  see 
notliin  of  them  thar  lads.  T  looked  at  one  or  two 
of  them  pits  that's  ben  dug  thar,  but  didn't  see 
anythin  but  water.  I  kep  a  screamin  an  a  shoutin 
all  the  time,  but  thar  wasn't  any  answer  at  all. 
Thar  was  the  boat  on  the  beach,  —  but  whar  was 
the  boys?  I  couldn't  see  em,  I  couldn't  find  em  ; 
and  though  I  called  for  em,  they  didn't  answer. 

'*  Wal,  I  went  back  to  the  beach,  an  then  I 
stood  an  tried  to  think  what  I'd  best  do.  Some- 
thin  had  happened.  I  knowed  that  the  best 
thing  to  do  was  to  make  haste  an  try  to  let  the 
friends  of  them  lads  know  how  things  was.  I 
knowed  that  they  was  strangers  in  these  parts,  an 
that  they'd  come  from  Chester.  I  thought  I'd  find 
out  about  em  here  at  the  inn,  an  that  the  best  an 
quickest  way  would  be  to  come  right  straight  off 
to  this  place,  an  see  if  I  couldn't  lam  somethin 
about  em,  or  find  some  friends  o'  thairs  that'd  come 
with  me  back  again,  an  find  out,  for  sure  an  sartin, 
what  it  was  that  had  happened.  An  what  troubled 
me  most  all  the  time,  and  troubles  mo  now,  is 
them  very  words  that  I  said  to  em  as  to  how  that 
it  was  necessary  that  thar  must  be  a  sacrifice  of 
human  life.  For  I'm  kine  o'  feared  that  it's  turned 
out  true,  an  that  themes  the  very  ones  that  was 
destined  to  be  that  sacrifice.  They've  got  into 
some  trouble,  I  know  —  but  how  it  was  I  don't 


THE  stranger's   SUPERSTITIOUS   DREAD.        211.7 


ooked  all 

island  in 
didn't  see 
ne  or  two 
Hdn't  see 

a  slioutin 
er  at  all. 
whar  was 
)  find  em  ; 
nswer. 
m  then  I 
0.     Some- 

the  best 
to  let  the 
\  was.  I 
I  parts,  an 
It  I'd  find 
le  best  an 
raight  off 

soraethin 
at'd  come 
an  sartin, 
;  troubled 
3  now,  is 

how  that 
icrifice  of 
i^s  turned 

that  'vvas 

got  into 
s  I  don't 


know,  an  whether  it  was  in  the  day  tin;«e,  or  at 
niglit.     This  is  what  I  want  to  find  out.'* 

''  What  did  the  boys  look  like?  "  asked  the  land- 
lord, as  the  man  ceased. 

"  Wal,  jest  sech  lookin  lads  as  these  —  not  overly 
well  dressed,  in  fact  a  leetle  mite  shabby ;  but 
one  of  them  was  a  gentleman's  son,  —  no  doubt 
o'  that  ;  an  the  other  was  a  bright-lookin  lad 
enough.'* 

"  It's  Bart  and  Pat.  There's  no  doubt  of  that," 
said  Bruce. 

'*  And  what  sort  of  a  boat  was  it  ?  " 

"0,  an  ordinary  Chester  boat,  with  a  sail,  as  I 
said." 

"  Is  the  boat  on  the  beach  of  Oak  Island  yet  ?  " 

"  Course  it  is.  I  left  it  where  it  w^as.  But  air 
them  thar  boys  a  stoppin  here  ?  Do  you  know 
them  ?  " 

*'  Yes,"  said  the  landlord,  in  a  husky  voice  ;  and 
he  stood  in  silence  for  a  few  moments,  with  his 
eyes  cast  down. 

Upon  the  boys  this  information  had  produced  an 
effect  which  was  at  once  distressing  and  puzzling. 
It  was  distressing,  from  the  fact  that  this  stranger 
more  than  hinted  at  some  possible  evil  befalling 
their  two  companions  ;  and  his  gloomy  allusions  to 
his  prophecy  about  the  "  sacrifice  of  human  life," 
together  with  the  expression  of  his  own  anx- 
iety, produced  a  corresponding  effect  upon  all  of 
them.    But  it  was  also  puzzling,  for  they  could  not 


I'::!'-;' 


"f 

111 


21 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


imagine  what  there  was  on  this  Oak  Island  +o  at- 
tract Bart  and  Pat ;  or,  if  there  was  any  attrac- 
tion in  it,  how  Bart  and  Pat  had  found  it  out. 
Various  expressions  made  use  of,  however,  such  as 
his  allusions  to  "  pirates  "  and  *'  treasure,'^  served 
to  make  them  suspect  that  this  Oak  Island  might 
be  the  very  place,  in  search  of  which  they  had 
come  to  Chester,  the  place  indicated  by  the  story  of 
the  governor  of  Sable  Island  ;  that  somehow  Bart 
and  Pat  had  made  this  discovery,  and  had  remained 
behind,  while  they  went  to  Aspotogon  for  the  ex- 
press purpose  of  finding  out  the  place  for  them- 
selves. 

In  this  suspicion  they  were  right,  and  it  was 
confirmed  by  the  landlord. 

"  I  see  it,"  he  exclaimed,  suddenly.     **  I  have  it." 

"  What  ?  "  asked  Bruce. 

ti  Why,  I  know  now  why  they  didn't  go  with 
you." 

«  Why  ?  " 

"  Why,  because  they  wanted  to  go  to  Oak 
Island." 

"Oak  Island?  But  what  is  there  in  Oak  Is- 
land?" 

**  Enough  to  attract  any  one.  I  told  them  about 
it  the  evening  of  the  day  you  came  —  all  about 
the  pirates,  and  how  Kidd  buried  his  treasure 
there,  and  how  it  was  found  out,  and  the  difierent 
attempts  made  to  raise  it.  It's  too  long  a  story 
now.     You  can  hear  it  some  other  time.    But 


! 


THE  landlord's   STATEMENT. 


217 


;land  +o  at- 
any  attrac- 
md  it  out. 
jr,  such  as 
e/'  served 
and  might 

they  had 
le  story  of 
ehow  Bart 

remained 

:br  the  ex- 

for  them- 

nd  it  was 

[  have  it." 

t  go  with 

3   to   Oak 

« 
n  Oak  Is- 

em  about 
all  about 
treasure 
different 
^  a  story 
ue.    But 


I  told  it  to  them,  and  they've  gone  wild  with  ex- 
citement to  visit  the  island  themselves.  That's  it. 
Yes,  that's  it.  But  I  didn't  think  they'd  cleiir  out 
this  way.  What  made  them  do  it  ?  They  made  a 
great  secret  of  it.  What  was  the  use  of  that? 
And  now  what  in  the  world  has  become  of  them  ?  " 

"They  went  to  that  thar  island,''  said  Roach, 
"  an  they've  never  left  it." 

"  Are  you  sure  you  went  all  over  it?  "  ' 

"  Sure  ?    Of  course." 

"  And  the  boat  was  on  the  beach  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  an  it's  thar  yet.  An  if  them  lads  be- 
long to  this  here  party,  then  my  advice  is,  you'd 
better  hurry  off  an  find  out  what's  become  o'  them. 
I'm  dreadful  anxious  still,  an  want  to  know  the 
wust.  An  I'm  afeard  that  if  we  find  out  anything, 
it'll  be  the  very  wust." 

To  this  disheartening  remark  there  was  no  re- 
ply made.  The  boys  all  felt  the  same.  A.rthur 
and  Phil,  who  had  at  first  felt  anxious  about  the 
absentees,  now  felt  a  worse  anxiety  ;  while  Bruce 
and  Tom,  who  had  explained  away  their  absence, 
now  knew  not  what  to  say  or  to  think.  Although 
the  evident  superstition  of  the  man  Roach  lessened 
somewhat  the  value  of  his  testimony,  still  they 
could  not  conceal  from  themselves  the  fact,  that 
there  were  grave  reasons  for  alarm,  —  such  as  the 
boat  on  the  shore,  and  the  failure  of  his  cries  to 
reach  the  ears  of  the  boys.  Where  could  they  be, 
that  in  a  circuit  of  the  island,  this  visitor  had  not 


218 


THE  TREASURE   OF  TJiE  SEAS. 


O^f' 


:'!#/:' 


m 


.¥'• 


li^^. 


r>*y- 


■•r 


nv 


«l^^ 


'  ■   ^    ■ 


been  able  to  see  them,  or  to  make  his  cries  heard? 
What  could  have  happened  to  them  ?  What  sort 
of  dangers  could  have  presented  themselves  ? 
The  dangers  which  had  been  suggested  by  the 
superstitious  lancy  of  Roach  had  no  terrors  in 
their  eyes,  and  no  weight  in  their  minds,  —  at  least 
in  broad  day.  But  there  might  be  other  dangers, 
of  a  material  kind,  of  which  they  knew  nothing. 
What  did  he  mean  by  those  "  pits"  full  of  water? 
What  pits  ?  They  could  not  guess  at  this,  for  they 
had  not  heard  the  landlord's  story,  and  Oak  Island 
was  all  an  unknown  ground  to  them. 

Such,  then,  were  the  questions  and  the  fears 
which  were  started  by  the  anxiety  of  the  boys ; 
and  the  more  they  thought  over  these  things,  the 
more  that  anxiety  increased. 

But  one  thing,  of  course,  now  remained  to  be 
done,  and  that  was,  to  hasten,  as  fast  as  possible, 
to  the  place  where  Bart  and  Pat  had  gone,  and 
search  for  themselves  after  their  lost  companions. 
The  landlord  at  once  began  his  preparations.  The 
Antelope  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  By  taking 
her,  time  would  be  lost ;  for  it  was  necessary  to 
start  from  the  back  bay,  which  was  very  much 
nearer  to  Oak  Island.  Roach  had  landed  on  that 
side,  and  his  boat,  a  roomy  whaler,  was  at  their 
disposal.  They  therefore  at  once  decided  to  em- 
bark in  her,  and  go  by  that  way  in  search  of  the 
lost  ones. 

They  set  forth  at  once,  the  landlord  accompany- 


OFF  TO  THE   RESCUE. 


219 


es  heard? 
Wliat  sort 
rnselvos  ? 
(1  by  the 
errors   in 

—  at  least 

r  dangers, 
nothing. 

of  water  ? 
,  for  they 

)ak  Island 

the  fears 
the  boys ; 
flings,  the 

ned  to  be 
possible, 
f?one,  and 
npanions. 
)ns.  The 
y  taking 
essary  to 
ry  much 
i  on  that 
at  their 
d  to  em- 
h  of  the 

^mpany- 


ing  them.  It  was  not  thought  necessary  to  send 
word  to  Captain  Corbet,  as  he  would  not  be  able 
to  do  anything,  and  might  only  embarrass  their 
movements  by  an  untimely  fussiness,  or  by  an 
anxious  determination  to  accompany  tliom  in 
Roach's  boat.  A  walk  of  a  few  minutes  brought 
them  to  the  back  bay,  where  the  boat  was  lying. 
It  was  soon  afloat,  and  the  party  embarked.  Then 
the  sail  was  hoisted,  and  as  the  wind  was  fair  and 
fresh,  they  moved  rapidly  through  the  water,  head- 
ing for  Oak  Island.  On  the  way  the  landlord  in- 
formed them  that  he  had  told  to  Bart  and  Pat  the 
story  of  Oak  Island,  and  gave  them  a  kind  of 
summary  of  the  same  story.  From  this  the  boys 
were  able  to  understand  why  it  was  that  their 
absent  companions  had  not  accompanied  them, 
though  they  were  still  at  a  loss  to  know  why  it 
was  that  they  had  made  such  a  secret  of  their 
plan,  and  what  their  purpose  had  been  in  thus 
setting  out  by  themselves.  They  could  only  con- 
clude that  Bart  and  Pat  wished  to  have  the  whole 
glory  of  making  some  discovery  by  themselves, 
with  which  they  should  astonish  their  companions  ; 
and  if  there  was  any  hope  left  in  their  minds,  it 
was  that  they  had  purposely  secreted  themselves 
from  Roach,  so  as  not  to  be  disturbed  in  their  in- 
vestigations. And  this  hope,  though  it  was  a  faint 
one,  served  to  sustain  them  to  some  extent. 

In  a  short  time  they  reached  Oak  Island,  where 
they  landed  at  the  very   place   which   had   been 


220 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


chosen  by  Bart  and  Pat  for  their  landing.  Here 
the  first  thing  that  they  noticed  was  the  boat 
which  their  friends  had  brouglit,  and  which  lay  as 
they  hjid  left  it.  It  was  with  melancholy  forebod- 
ings that  they  looked  upon  it,  wondering  what  had 
been  the  fate  of  those  who  had  brought  it  here. 
But  there  was  no  time  to  waste  in  useless  regrets 
or  idle  fears.  There  was  a  very  serious  business 
before  them  —  the  search  after  their  lost  com- 
panions. 

They  went  up  from  the  beach  upon  the  island 
just  as  Pat  and  Bart  had  gone,  and  noticed  the 
same  things.  They  came  to  the  mound  of  bluish 
clay,  and  saw  the  pit  close  by  filled  with  water. 
They  examined  this  narrowly,  as  though  they 
feared  to  find  their  friends  here.  Then  they  went 
on  further.  Another  mound,  marking  the  presence 
of  another  pit.  They  now  began  to  understand 
the  full  meaning  of  these  "  pits  "  to  which  Roach 
had  alluded.  It  was  with  a  feeling  of  great  relief 
that  they  ?jaw  no  signs  here  of  their  lost  friends. 
From  this  they  went  on  farther  to  a  third  pit. 

"  I  can't  imagine,"  said  the  landlord,  "  how  any 
harm  could  have  happened.  Two  sensible  boys 
like  these  couldn't  have  fallen  into  any  trouble 
here.  They  wouldn't  feel  inclined  to  jump  into  a 
flooded  pit  and  drown  themselves.  As  to  this  pit, 
it  is  dry ;  and  I  don't  think  they  would  go  down 
into  it.  Why  should  they  ?  They  wouldn't  jump 
down,  for  they  were  not  yet  quite  tired  of  life, 


Mt',      » 


THE  GRISLY  THEORY  OP  ROACH. 


221 


ling.  Hero 
as  the  boat 
svhicli  lay  as 
loly  forebod- 
ng  what  had 
?ht  it  here. 
>less  regrets 
us  business 
ir  lost  com- 

i  the  island 
noticed  the 
id  of  bluish 
vith  water. 
10 ugh   they 
t  they  went 
le  presence 
understand 
hich  Roach 
jreat  relief 
ost  friends, 
d  pit. 
"  how  any 
isible  boys 
ny  trouble 
imp  into  a 
to  this  pit, 
i  go  down 
Idn't  jump 
red  of  life, 


and  there^s  nothing  here  to  show  thai  they  lowered 
themselves  down." 
Roach  solemnly  shook  his  head.  • 

"  'Tain't  that,"  said  he ;  <'  'tain't  that.  It's  tho 
sperits  —  the  ghosts  of  the  old  pirates,  that  allers 
haunts  this  island.  No  man  dare  live  on  it,  except 
when  they  come  in  companies.  One  or  two,  men 
or  boys,  air  at  their  mussy.  'Tain't  no  or'nary 
uthly  dume  that's  come  over  them  thar  lads.  It's 
Kidd  an  his  gang  that's  ben  an  done  for  them." 


r 


ill 


222 


THE  TEEASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


IIJ 


i 


XVIII. 

A  Place  of  Peril.  —  Hie  Descent  of  the  Darkness.  — 
Dreadful  Expectation,  —  The  Sound  from  the 
nether  Abyss.  —  The  rising  Waters.  —  Higher 
and  higher.  —  A  Gleam  of  Hope.  —  TJie  Beams 
intermixed.  —  Borne  upward  on  the  Waters.  — 
The  last  Chance.  —  A  final  Struggle.  —  Pat  up 
to  the  Surface.  —  Dropping  a  Line  to  a  Friend. 
—  The  midnight  Sky,  and  the  moonlit  Sea.  —  Tlie 
lone  Hut.  —  The  Exploiters.  —  Despondency.  —  A 
last  Eesort.  —  Sleepers  awahe.  —  Wild  and  fran- 
tic Joy.  —  TJie  Voice  of  the  Landlord. —  The  Joint 
Stock  Company,  and  the  Steam  Engine, 

^HE  coming  of  darkness  gave  a  new  horror  to 
those  which  already  surrounded  Bart  and 
Pat  far  down  in  the  pit.  This  made  them 
perceive  how  long  they  had  already  been  down, 
and  threw  a  new  diflSculty  in  the  way  of  escape. 
But  that  way  of  escape  seemed  already  to  be  effectu- 
ally closed  when  Pat  brought  back  his  terrible  in- 
telligence from  the  bottom  of  the  pit.  They  had 
formed  a  new  plan,  which  had  given  them  hope  ;  but 
now  the  only  way  of  carrying  out  that  plan  into 


DESCENT  OP  THE  DARKNESS. 


223 


Darkness.  — 
id  from  the 
's.  —  Higher 
■  TJie  Beams 
J    Waters.  — 

-  —  Pat  icp 
5  a  Friend. 
Sea.  —  Tlie 

idency.  —  A 
d  and  fran- 

—  The  Joint 
le. 

w  horror  to 
d  Bart  and 
mado  them 
)eeii  down, 

of  escape. 
)  be  effectu- 
terrible  in- 

They  had 
I  hope ;  but 
i  plan  into 


execution  was  snatched  from  them  by  the  advance 
of  the  waters.  There  was  nothing  for  them  to  do. 
To  cHmb  up  the  log  casing  was  impossible,  and  to 
dig  through  the  clay  was  equally  so  without  some 
strong,  sharp  instrument,  like  the  pickaxe. 

Nothing  was  visible  down  below,  and  up  above 
it  grew  steadily  darker.  Whether  the  water  below 
was  rising  higher  in  the  pit  or  not  they  were  un- 
able to  find  out  from  actual  sight,  but  they  had  a 
full  conviction  that  it  was  steadily  advancing  higher 
and  higher  towards  them,  and  that  with  its  advance 
it  was  also  unsettling  or  sapping  away  altogether 
the  sides  of  the  pit.  Awful  were  the  m  .ments,  and 
terrible  the  forebodings.  The  darkness  intensi- 
fied every  fear,  and  made  the  actual  dangers 
by  which  they  were  surrounded  still  more  for- 
midable. 

Overhead  they  could  see  the  shadow^y  form  of 
the  broken  beam  still  hanging,  and  still  threatening 
to  fall  at  any  moment.  The  rope  fastened  to  it  had 
broken  below  the  point  where  they  were  seated, 
and  was  within  reach  of  their  hands  ;  but  it  was  of 
no  use.  Had  the  beam  above  been  strong,  they 
could  have  easily  saved  themselves  in  this  way ;  but 
the  beam  being  broken,  they  dared  not  touch  the 
rope.  The  terror  of  the  broken  beam  was,  how- 
ever, lost  sight  of  in  the  presence  of  that  greater 
terror  advancing  from  below,  minute  by  minute  — 
the  terror  of  that  water  into  whose  mysterious 
sources  they  had  penetrated ;  whose  secret  foun- 


pp 


,.A'4 


!-  ^: 


^^1- 


,W/ 


224 


THE   TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


tain  they  had  broken  up,  and  which  now,  like  some 
formidable  monster  too  rashly  challenged,  was  ad- 
vancing step  by  step,  in  irresistible  power,  to  take 
vengeance  upon  these  reckless  intruders.  That 
soil  beneath  had  shown  its  looseness  by  tumbling 
down  in  the  removal  of  the  lower  logs ;  the  tena- 
cious upper  clay  did  not  exist  there;  and  it  seemed 
to  them  that  the  rising  water,  by  permeating  all  the 
soil,  might  at  any  moment  cause  all  the  pit  to  fall 
together  in  one  heap  of  undistinguishable  ruin.  In 
that  case,  they  would  be  overwhelme;'  beyond  the 
possibility  of  escape,  and  snatched  from  the  world  to 
destruction,  without  leaving  behind  them  the  faint- 
est vestige,  or  the  slightest  token  of  their  awful  fate. 

At  such  a  moment  nothing  was  said.  Nothing 
could  be  said.  They  sat  there  then  in  silence, 
listening  with  sharpened  senses  for  any  sound  that 
might  tell  of  the  approach  of  the  water.  For  a 
long  time,  however,  they  heard  nothing  except  the 
quick  throbbing  of  their  own  hearts,  until,  at  last, 
there  gradually  came  up  a  dull  sound,  whici*  ^  owly 
resolved  itself  into  something  like  thumping  and 
grinding. 

They  listened  now  with  intense  excitement  and 
agitation  to  these  sounds. 

Wliat  were  they  ? 

There  was  only  one  meaning  which  they  were 
able  to  give  to  them.  It  seemed  as  if  these  sounds 
must  indicate  the  breaking  up  of  the  lower  casing 
of  logs  that  lined  the  pit  —  the  first  notice  sent 


THE   RISING   WATERS. 


225 


Vy  like  some 
ed,  was  ad- 
srer,  to  take 
lers.  That 
y  tumbling 
;  the  tena- 
i  it  seemed 
iting  all  the 
pit  to  fall 
ie  ruin.  In 
leyond  the 
lie  world  to 
m  the  faint- 
awful  fate. 
.  Nothing 
in  silence, 
sound  that 
er.  For  a 
except  the 
itil,  a  I,  last, 
bJch  .-  )wly 
raping  and 

ement  and 


they  were 
ese  sounds 
ver  casing 
otice  sent 


them  of  that  break-up  which  was  inevitable.  Every 
sound  seemed  to  tell  of  some  new  log  severed  from 
its  place  by  the  pressure  of  the  snrrounding  soil, 
which,  now  saturated  with  water,  and  transformed 
to  a  sort  of  ooze,  streamed  through  the  crannies, 
and  destroyed  the  staying  of  the  pit.  At  this 
thought  the  expectation  of  the  end  grew  stronger, 
their  awful  doom  seemed  more  immediate,  and 
every  nerve  tingled,  and  every  fibre  of  their 
being  thrilled  with  a  sense  of  horror. 

They  sat  with  their  legs  hanging  over,  and  their 
hands  grasping  the  log  beneath  as  firmly  as  they 
could.  It  was  while  they  were  in  this  position  that 
Bart  felt  something  strike  his  foot.  At  that  touch 
his  first  impulse  made  him  shrink  back  in  terror, 
and  jerk  both  feet  into  the  air.  The  same  moment 
Pat  felt  the  same,  and  e  zinced  the  same  repug- 
nance by  a  similar  gesture.  A  moment's  thought, 
however,  served  to  show  Bart  what  it  might  be  ; 
so,  reaching  his  feet  down  as  far  as  he  could  in 
order  to  test  it,  he  found  that  his  suspicions  were 
correct,  and  that  the  water  had  risen  to  that  point. 
What  had  touched  his  foot  was  a  log  that  had 
floated  on  the  top  of  the  rising  water. 

But  there  were  more  than  one  log,  and  this  was 
the  discovery  that  Bart  made  ;  and  these  logs  were 
a  dense  mass  that  filled  the  pit,  and  were  carried  up 
by  the  water  in  this  way.  They  had  loosened 
many  logs  at  the  bottom,  and  had  stood  the  long 
ones  upright,  while  the  shorter  ones  lay  length- 
15 


It 


226 


THE  TBEASIBE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


II 1 1.11, 


il-y 


M. 


w 


wise.  It  was  in  about  this  same  position  that  the 
mass  of  logs  now  floated  up,  and  reached  the  place 
where  they  could  be  touched. 

In  a  moment  a  joyful  cry  escaped  Bart. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  cried  Pat. 

it  We're  safe  !  we're  safe  !  "  cried  Bart. 

These  were  the  first  words  that  had  been  spoken 
since  Pat  first  announced  the  entrance  of  the  water. 

"  Safe,  is  it  ?  "  said  Pat.  "  I'd  like  to  know  how, 
so  I  would." 

"  Why,  these  logs  ;  only  feel  with  your  feet,  Pat. 
They're  all  floating  up.  I  never  thought  of  that. 
Only  feel  how  compact  and  solid  they  are.  They'll 
bear  our  weight,  and  we  can  float  up  with  them." 

Pat  for  a  moment  made  no  remark,  but  reached 
out  his  feet,  and  felt  as  far  as  he  could.  Then  a 
cry  of  joy  burst  from  him. 

"  Huroo !  '*  he  cried.  "  By  the  powers  I  but  it's 
safe  we  are.  Sure  it's  as  solid  as  a  flure,  so  it  is. 
It's  a  raft  that  we  have,  and  it'll  float  us  as  high  as 
it  goes." 

"  Yes,  if  it  don't  cave  in  first." 

"  Cave  in,  is  it  ?  0,  sure  but  it  won't  be  likely 
to  cave  in  up  here  at  all  at  all." 

"  We'd  better  lie  along  at  full  length." 

"  An  what'll  we  do  that  for  ?  " 

"  0,  so  as  to  get  the  advantage  of  the  floating 
power  of  all  the  logs.  If  we  stand  on  one  or  two 
they'll  sink  down  at  once." 


"  Sure  an  that's  so.    It's  right  you  are,  so  it 


IS. 


PROSPECT   OP  ESCAPE. 


227 


n  that  the 
i  the  place 

t. 


een  spoken 

the  water. 

know  how, 

r  feet,  Pat. 
lit  of  that. 
They'll 
th  them." 
it  reached 
:.     Then  a 


s  I  but  it's 
e,  so  it  is. 
as  high  as 


be  likely 


le  floating 
no  or  two 

e,  so  it  is. 


We'll  lie  down  at  full  lingth ;  an  0,  don't  I  wish 
we  could  take  a  bit  of  a  nap ! " 

"  No,  don't  think  of  that,  Pat ;  we've  got  lots  to 
do  vet." 

"  Nappin  ?  me  nappin  ?     Sure  it's  only  funnin  I 


» 


wor. 

"  At  any  rate,  we  need  only  to  float  up  to  the 
plank  casing.  Then  we'll  be  all  right.  And  it 
seems  to  be  coming  up  pretty  fast.  It's  risen  a  foot 
already,  since  we  first  felt  it." 

"  So  it  has,  sure." 

''We'd  better  be  getting  ready.  I'll  drop  off 
first,  and  roll  over  to  the  other  side,  and  hold  on 
to  as  many  as  I  can,  and  then  you  come  along  af- 
ter me." 

"Wait  a  bit,  sure,  till  it  gits  a  few  inches 
higher.     It'll  be  up  fast  enough,  sure." 

"  0,  yes,  of  course." 

The  boys  now  waited  in  silence  for  a  little  while 
longer.  The  water  rose  steadily,  bearing  up  the 
mass  of  logs  on  their  surface.  At  length,  slowly 
and  cautiously,  Bart  allowed  himself  to  pass  upon 
the  logs,  and  to  his  immense  delight,  found  that 
they  supported  his  weight. 

"  Hurrah,  Pat!  "  said  he.  "  They're  as  solid  as  a 
rock.     Come  along." 

In  a  few  moments  Pat  was  by  his  side. 

*'  I  had  no  idea,"  said  Bart,  "  that  they  would  be 
so  solid." 

"  Nor  me  ayther,"  said  Pat. 


228 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


i"         !i 


"I  tell  you  what  it  is.  The  logs  were  stood  up- 
right, and  as  they  floated  up  from  the  ground,  they 
were  turned  in  all  directions,  and  got  so  mixed  up, 
that  each  one  supported  the  other,  and  the  short 
logs  have  got  mixed  up  with  the  long  ones  ;  and  so 
it's  just  4ike  a  regular  raft,  and  they  bear  us  as  well 
as  if  they'd  all  been  laid  crosswise  on  purpose." 

"  Thrue  for  you,"  said  Pat ;  "  an  if  it's  so  solid,  1 
don't  see  why  we  mightn't  stand  up." 

"  0,  we'd  better  not.  This  is  the  safest  way. 
We  might  jar  them,  or  chake  them  by  putting  too 
much  weight  on  one  spot." 

"  Well,  it's  best  not  to  be  in  too  big  a  hurry," 
said  Pat,  "  an  let  well  enough  alone." 

The  boys  now  relapsed  into  silence,  and  watched 
anxiously  their  progress.  By  feeling  the  logs  on 
the  s'les  of  the  pit,  they  could  perceive  that  they 
were  rising  at  a  rate  that  was  very  satisfactory. 
Inch  after  inch  slipped  away  from  their  fingers; 
log  after  log  on  the  sides  was  covered  by  the  rising 
water.  And  at  intervals,  as  they  looked  up  to 
measure  their  distance  from  the  top,  they  could  see 
that  it  was  steadily  diminishing. 

Yet  the  hope  which  had  arisen  within  them  did 
not  blind  them  to  the  danger  that  still  surrounded 
them.  Still  there  was  the  danger  of  the  broken 
log.  The  rope  hung  down,  and  never  ceased  to  re- 
mind them,  as  they  rose,  that  there  was  this  above 
them,  for  the  rope  coiled  itself  over  them,  and  they 
feared  to  make  tho  slightest  movement,  lest  they 


HOPE   AND   PEAR. 


229 


e  stood  up. 
round,  the  V 
>  mixed  up, 
I  the  short 
les ;  and  so 
r  us  as  well 


}} 


Lirpose. 
5  so  solid,  1 

safest  way. 
cutting  too 

'  a  hurry," 

tid  watched 
he  logs  on 
)  that  they 
atisfactory. 
ir  fingers; 
y  the  rising 
ked  up  to 
y  could  see 

them  did 
urrounded 
;he  broken 
3ased  to  re- 
this  above 
n,  and  they 
;,  lest  they 


might  give  it  a  pull.  Another  danger  was  the 
chance  that  the  pit  might  cave  in,  from  having  its 
foundations  more  and  more  sapped  by  the  water. 
This  danger  had  been  delayed  for  long,  but  the 
longer  the  time  was,  the  greater  the  danger  grew. 
But  most  of  all  they  feared  lest  the  supplyof  water 
might  cease  before  they  reached  the  plank  casing. 
If  these  waters  came  from  the  level  of  the  sea,  they 
would  not  rise  in  the  pit  higher  than  that  level ; 
and  whether  that  would  bring  them  as  high  as  the 
plank  casing,  they  could  not  tell.  Their  chief  hope 
arose  from  the  landlord's  statement  that  the  island 
was  not  more  than  thirty  feet  above  the  water,  and 
if  this  was  so,  they  knew  that  they  might  get  to 
within  thirty  feet  of  the  top.  And  the  plank  cas- 
ing came  down  about  as  far  as  that. 

And  so,  full  of  hope  and  fear,  which  thus  alternat- 
ed, they  floated  up,  rising  higher  and  higher  every 
minute,  and  feeling  most  carefully  all  the  while  in 
order  to  note  the  progress  which  they  made.  At 
length  the  progress  grew  somewhat  slower,  and 
hope  began  to  grow  faint ;  still,  as  it  did  actually 
continue,  they  struggled  against  despondency,  and 
looked  upward. 

Their  progress  now  grew  slower.  It  seemed  as 
though  the  force  which  pressed  the  waters  on  was 
being  gradually  exhausted.  Was  this  because  that 
water  came  from  some  internal  reservoir,  or  be- 
cause they  had  now  reached  a  point  almost  at  the 
level  of  the   sea?    They  were  not  high  enough 


i":  '  \ 


W- 


il  •'  ■ 


230 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


;   i^ 


inm 


l;  I!'  1.1 


yet,  and  they  were  not  rising  fast  enough  for  their 
impatience. 

Bart  now  stood  up  and  felt.  They  were  near  to 
the  lowest  part  of  the  plank  casing,  yet  not  near 
enough.  Would  they  ever  get  nearer?  At  the 
rate  at  which  they  were  now  rising,  they  could 
scarcely  hope  to  rise  more  than  one  other  foot  at 
the  farthest.  And  the  plank  casing  was  four  feet, 
at  least,  above  his  head  —  quite  out  of  his  reach. 
What  then?  Must  they  lie  down  here  and  perish 
almost  within  reach  of  safety  ?  For  a  few  moments 
it  seemed  so. 

But  it  was  only  for  a  few  moments.  Suddenly 
the  problem  was  solved. 

"  Pat,''  cried  Bart,  "  I'll  stand  here.  You  climb 
up  till  you  get  your  feet  on  my  shoulders.  You 
can  reach  the  planking  then." 

"  But  how'll  you  git  up  yourself? "  asked  Pat, 
anxiously.  ^ 

"  Why,  when  you  git  up,  you  can  throw  me  that 
rope,  of  course,"  said  Bart. 

"  Sure  enough.  Och,  but  it's  the  fool  I  am,  sure, 
not  to  think  of  that." 

No  more  words  were  spoken.  Pat  did  as  Bart 
told  him,  climbing  till  his  feet  rested  on  Bart's 
shoulders.  The  lowest  line  of  planks  was  within 
reach.  Here  he  found  a  place  to  grasp  with  his 
hands,  the  logs  below  affording  suflScient  foothold. 
He  found  no  difficulty.  It  was  almost  like  going  up  a 
ladder  now,  and  in  a  few  moments  he  was  at  the  top. 


SAFE   AT  LAST. 


231 


:h  for  their 

ere  near  to 

t  not  near 

?    At  the 

hey   could 

ler  foot  at 

four  feet, 

his  reach. 

ind  perish 

V  moments 

Suddenly 

pTou  ch'mb 
ers.     You 

isked  Pat, 

m 

\v  me  that 

am,  sure, 

I  as  Bart 
on  Bart's 
as  within 
with  his 
foothold, 
oing  up  a 
t  the  top. 


But  all  danger  was  not  yet  over.  He  dared 
not  touch  the  broken  log,  and  could  not  detach  the 
rope  without  doing  so.  As  the  log  was,  it  seemed 
to  be  hanging  by  a  few  fibres,  and  the  slightest 
touch  might  send  it  down.  But  there  were  plenty 
of  ropes  at  the  hut,  and  he  at  once  hurried  away  to 
procure  one.  He  brought  back  one  which  was 
quite  new,  and  therefore  strong  enough ;  and  also 
a  crowbar.  Driving  the  crowbar  into  the  ground, 
he  bound  the  rope  to  it,  and  flung  the  end  down  to 
Bart,  who  had  been  waiting  patiently  in  the  mean 
time.  Pat  now  held  the  crowbar  to  steady  it,  and 
Bart,  seizing  the  rope,  raised  himself  up.  A  slight 
effort  was  sufficient  to  bring  him  up  to  within 
reach  of  the  plank  casing,  and  for  the  rest  of  the 
way  it  was  easy  enough. 

At  last  1  There  they  stood,  those  two,  who  had 
of  late  been  in  such  deep  and  dark  despair.  They 
stood  there,  drawing  deep  breaths  of  that  glad 
upper  air,  and  looked  around.  The  moon  shone 
from  on  high,  throwing  its  lustre  over  the  scene, 
and  pouring  upon  the  sea  a  silver  flood.  Joy  and 
gratitude  overwhelmed  them,  and  with  one  com- 
mon impulse  they  fell  upon  their  knees,  and  gave 
thanks  to  that  Merciful  One  who  had  drawn  them 
up  "  out  of  a  horrible  pit,"  and  restored  them  to 
the  light  of  life. 

But  their  excitement  and  their  labor  had  utterly 
exhausted  them  in  mind  and  body.  They  were 
terribly  fatigued.     To   ro\y  back   to  Chester  w^a 


232 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


^  '^ 


;.4 


impossible.  They  therefore  went  off  at  once  to 
the  little  hut,  and  here,  flinging  themselves  upon 
the  floor,  they  soon  sank  into  a  profound  slumber. 

Meanwhile  the  boys,  with  the  landlord,  and 
Roach,  had  searched  about  the  island,  until  tlio 
minds  of  all  were  filled  with  the  deepest  anxiety. 
The  hut  still  remained,  and  into  this,  not  expecting 
to  find  anything,  yet  still  anxious  to  search  every- 
wheie,  thev  all  went.  There  was  an  outer  room 
full  of  ropes  and  tools,  passing  through  which  they 
came  to  an  inner  room. 

Out  of  a  profound  slumber  Bart  and  Pat  were 
abruptly  roused,  and  opened  their  eyes  to  find 
themselves  surrounded  by  their  four  companions, 
perfectly  frantic  with  excitement  and  joy,  together 
with  two  strangers,  the  landlord  and  the  man  who 
had  shown  them  the  way,  which  two  exhibited  a 
most  profound  emotion.  After  their  first  bewilder- 
ment, Bart  and  Pat  found  it  easy  to  guess  at  the 
meaning  of  this  scene,  and  the  memories  which 
they  had  of  their  terrible  adventure  fully  justified 

•  in  their  eyes  the  wild  joy  of  their  friends.  It  was 
a  comfort  to  them  to  perceive  that  they  had  thus 
been  promptly  followed,  for  they  saw  that  had  they 
not  been  able  to  get  out  of  the  hole,  they  would 
have  been  rescued  by  these  loving  hands  before  all 
was  lost. 

Long  explanations  were  deferred  for  the  present. 
Bart  and  Pat  were  in  a  state  of  starvation,  and 

•  their  friends  had  forgotten  to  bring  any  food.     But 


THE  JOINT  STOCK   COMPANY. 


233 


at  once  to 
selves  upon 
kI  slumber, 
iidlord,  and 
!,  until  the 
3st  anxiety, 
t  expecting 
arch  every- 
outer  room 
which  they 

1  Pat  were 
yes  to  find 
iompanions, 
>y,  together 
e  man  who 
exhibited  a 
t  bewilder- 
less  at  the 
ries  which 
y  justified 
Is.     It  was 
Y  had  thus 
t  had  they 
hey  would 
}  before  all 

le  present, 
ation,  and 
bod.     But 


Chester  was  not  far  away.  Tho  wind  was  fair,  and 
before  very  long  they  were  all  seated  at  the  inn 
table,  where  the  two  lost  ones  satisfied  their  rave- 
nous appetites,  and  the  other  boys  made  a  second 
breakfast,  which  was  more  satisfactory  than  the 
first  Iiad  been. 

After  which  Bart  and  Pat  tcld  the  whole  story 
minutely,  answering  every  question. 

The  wonder,  the  anxiety,  and  the  horror  that 
were  manifested  by  the  bearers  during  this  narra- 
tive need  not  be  described  here.  Roach  insisted 
that  it  was  all  the  doings  of  Kidd,  and  maintained 
that  life  must  yet  be  sacrificed,  before  the  malign 
spirits  would  be  appeased,  and  surrender  the 
treasure.  The  landlord,  on  the  contrary,  rightly 
viewed  it  as  utter  recklessness  on  the  part  of 
the  boys.  The  previous  diggers  had  several 
times  broken  into  what  he  called  the  "  drain,''  and 
the  boys  had  done  the  same  thing,  and  so  he  de- 
clared all  would  do,  till  they  should  organize  the 
new  company,  and  set  up  a  steam  engine. 

And  here  it  may  be  as  well  to  state  that  the 
new  joint  stock  company  was  afterwards  organized, 
and  the  steam  engine  set  up,  and  a  regular  series  of 
engineering  experiments  carried  out.  Coffer  dams 
were  constructed  on  the  shore,  and  ever  so  many 
new  pits  were  dug  in  many  different  places.  In  spite 
of  all,  however,  the  new  company  was  a  total  failure; 
the  waters  of  the  sea  proved  stronger  than  their 
puny  arms ;  and  the  place  known  as  the  original 


'';  *<'^.  $ 


ll||MIIIIil|| 


m 


■'/f^? 


234 


THE  TREASURE  of  THE  SEAS. 


money-hole  was  never  reached.  Scientific  men 
laughed  at  the  theory  of  Kidd's  treasure,  and  the 
drain,  as  all  moonshine,  and  said  that  the  company 
might  as  well  try  to  dig  pits  in  a  quicksand;  but 
the  stockholders  clung  to  their  faith  even  after 
they  had  failed,  and  to  this  day  talk  about  the 
"  treasure,"  the  *'  money-hole,"  the  "  cheatj"  and 
the'* drain," as  though  they  were  all  solid  and  well- 
established  facts.  * 


THE  TALE   TOLD   TO   SOLOMON. 


235 


itifio  men 
e,  and  the 
3  company 
:sand;  but 
jven  after 
about  the 
aeatj"  and 
iand  well- 


XIX. 

Tlie  Tale  unfolded  to  Solomon  and  to  Captain  Cor- 
bet.  —  How  they  took  it. — A  Neio  Departure. — 
A  Bee-line  for  Home.  —  An  Obstacle.  —  An  old 
Enemy.  —  All  at  Sea^  literally  and  fguratively, 
—  Terrible  Calamity  — Striking  a  Bock.  —  Peril- 
ous Position.  —  Taking  to  the  Pumps,  —  Prepare 
ingfor  the  Worst. 

WO  of  the  party  in  the  Antelope  had  neither 
heard  of  the  peril  of  Bart  and  Pat,  nor  known 
of  their  escape  from  it ;  and  to  these  it  was 
that  the  information  of  these  things  came  last  of 
all,  yet  not  with  the  least  profound  effect.  To 
Solomon  the  theory  of  the  man  Roach  seemed  un- 
answerable, and  the  very  mention  of  it  made  his 
eyes  roll  about  till  nothing  was  visible  except  two 
revolving  white  disks  on  an  ebon  ground.  His 
fingers  clasped  one  another  nervously,  and  his  jaw 
fell  and  remained  hanging,  as  though  the  owner 
of  it  had  no  further  use  for  it,  or  had  lost  all  con- 
trol of  it.  From  Solomon's  former  actions  on  dif- 
ferent occasions,  be  had  given  indications  of  a 
nature  that  was  not  untinged  with  superstition, 


'  m^ 


236 


THE   TREASURE   OP  THE   SEAS. 


«i- 


fc- 


% 


and  a  fancy  that  was  ready  to  kindle  and  flame  up 
with  all  those  visions  of  the  supernatural  which 
seem  so  congenial  to  the  negro  mind. 

^''  0,  de  sakes  alive  I  "  he  exclaimed.  "  An  under 
neaf  de  groun  —  an  badi  agin  safe  I  What !  down 
below  dar  to  dat  ar  place  I  Clar,  if  it  don't  make 
dis  yer  ole  man  go  nigh  stracted  to  think  of.  On 
dat  ar  island,  down  in  dat  ar  hole,  dar's  a  hull  slew 
of  ghosts  an  hobblegobblf  ms  ob  de  wustest  sort 
ob  pirates  an  murderers  all  lyin  in  wait,  wid  de  ole 
boy  himself,  an  a  watchin  ober  de  treasure.  How 
ebber  youns  managed  to  git  out  ob  de  clutches  ob 
dem  dar  hobblegobblums  beats  me  —  does  so.  Clar, 
if  I  ain't  mos  'fraid  to  think  ob  it.  Darsn't  —  no 
how.  Ef  I'd  ben  down  dar,  I'd  gon  mad  wid  fright. 
But  dar  couldn't  be  any  danger  ob  me  ebber  goin 
down — no,  sah  1  You  may  bet  high  on  dat  ar.  Not 
for  all  de  treasure  dat  Cap'n  Kidd  ebber  buried." 

Captain  Corbet  heard  the  harrowing  story  with 
a  face  full  of  sickening  suspense  and  terrible  anx- 
iety. In  his  gentle  and  affectionate  nature  he 
seemed  to  suffer  all  that  the  boys  had  suffered. 
He  made  no  remark  whatever,  and  after  it  was  all 
told,  he  remained  in  silence  for  some  time,  looking, 
in  an  abstracted  way,  at  vacancy.  The  others  re- 
spected his  evident  emotion,  and  stood  regarding 
him  in  solemn  silence. 

At  length  he  raised  his  venerable  head,  and  sur- 
veyed Bart  and  Pat  with  an  impressive  gaze  j  after 
which  he  looked  at  each  of  the  other  boys. 


;. 


LAMENTS  OP   CORBET. 


237 


jid  flame  up 
itural  which 

"  An  under 
What !  down 
b  don't  make 
hink  of.  On 
s  a  hull  slew 
wustest  sort 
if  wid  de  ole 
asure.  How 
)  clutches  ob 
oes  so.  Clar, 
Darsn't  —  no 
,d  wid  fright. 
3  ebber  goin 
I  dat  ar.  Not 
er  buried." 

story  with 
terrible  anx- 
I  nature  he 
ad  suffered. 
:er  it  was  all 
me,  looking, 
e  others  re- 
d  regarding 

jad,  and  sur- 
gaze ;  after 
oys. 


"  Well,  well,  well  I "  he  said,  slowly,  and  with 
emphasis  ;  "had  1  a  knowed  —  had  I  a  thought  — 
had  I  a  s'posed  —  had  1  a  dreampt  of  the  possee- 
bility  of  this,  I'd  never  a  ventoored  into  any  harbure 
till  I  cud  anchor  opposite  my  natyve  hum.  An  I 
might  have  expected  it  —  tew.  I  know  how  it 
''us  was,  an  might  have  expected  how  it  alius  was 
a  goin  for  to  be.  But  this  here  does  clap  the  cli- 
max. And  whuffore  ?  What  upon  airth  possessed 
you  to  ventoor  down  under  ground  on  a  broken 
rope,  hangin  from  a  rotten  beam  ?  Why,  it  won't 
bar  a  thinkin  on.  It's  wuss  than  anythin  that's 
happened  among  all  that  long  an  eventfuel  serious 
of  misfort'ns  an  clamties  that's  ben  a  befallin  of  us 
ever  sence  we  fust  assembled  together  on  board 
this  here  schewner. 

"  2^.nd  now  what  am  I  a  goin  to  do  ?  Do  ?  Me  ? 
Why,  I'll  tell  you  what  I'ni  a  goin  to  do.  I'm  a 
goin  to  take  up  a  bee-line  for  hum,  an  never  enter 
another  harbure  —  no,  not  so  much  as  look  at  one, 
till  I  get  to  the  wharf  at  Grand  Pr^.  This  responsi- 
bility is  tew,  tew  kerushin.  I  ain't  a  stick,  an  I 
ain't  a  stun,  an  I  can't  abear  it.  A  human  heart 
beats  in  this  aged  boosura,  an  it's  ben  wrung  on- 
common.  I  don't  want  to  get  another  squinge. 
No  —  not  me.  An  so  I  intend  this  day  to  hist 
anchor,  an  spread  my  sail  co  catch  the  gale.  An 
them  that  wants  to  go  hum  by  land  air  at  liberty 
so  to  do  —  an  peace  an  joy  go  with  em  ;  but  them 
as  wishes  to  stand  by  the  ship  11  be  welcome  to 


J 


l:"    ffWy 


yf<i||iiiii||il 


238 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


the  aged  Corbet,  an  make  his  path  of  life  all  the 
brighter  for  their  presence.  An,  so  sayin,  I'll 
kinclewd." 

The  conclusion,  thus  announced,  was  one  which 
the  boys  were  not  unwilling  to  accept.  There  was 
nothing  more  here  which  they  particularly  cared 
to  see.  After  the  adventure  of  Bart  and  Pat,  the 
treasure  of  the  seas  and  the  plunder  of  the  Spanish 
Main  lost  that  dazzling  and  alluring  charm  which 
hitherto  had  been  found  in  those  sounding  words. 
The  fact  that  it  was  so  inaccessible  was  of  itself 
sufficient  to  quell  their  ardor ;  but,  more  than  this, 
they  were  affected  by  the  information  of  past  at- 
tempts to  get  at  the  treasure,  and  especially  by  the 
present  efforts  at  forming  a  joint  stock  company. 
This  at  once  vulgarized  the  whole  affair.  It  put  it 
into  the  hands  of  every  one.  It  made  it  a  matter 
of  shares  and  shafts,  engineers  and  steam-engines. 
With  such  things  as  these  the  boys  felt  they  had 
nothing  to  do,  and  in  them  they  took  no  interest 
whatever.  Then,  finally,  the  adventure  of  Bart 
and  Pat  had  so  exhausted  the  possibilities  of  Ma- 
hone  Bay,  that  they  could  hope  for  nothing  which 
could  surpass  it. 

The  consequence  was,  that,  not  long  after  the 
happy  return  of  Bart  and  Pat,  the  Antelope  once 
more  set  sail.  The  wind  was  fair,  and  the  ship 
was  ready.  The  landlord  and  Roach  watched  them 
as  they  moved  away,  and  waved  their  hats  after 
them  as  they  passed  down  the  harbor.    And  so  the 


AN  OBSTACLE. 


239 


life  all  the 
sayin,   I'll 

;  one  which 

There  was 
larly  cared 
id  Pat,  the 
the  Spanish 
iiarm  which 
iinfj  words, 
as  of  itself 
e  than  this, 

of  past  at- 

;ially  by  the 

c  company. 

It  put  it 

it  a  matter 
am-engines. 
;lt  they  had 
no  interest 

re  of  Bart 
ities  of  Ma- 

hing  which 

g  after  the 
:elope  once 
d  the  ship 
itched  thcra 
'  hats  after 
And  so  the 


Antelope  went  away,  leaving  behind  her,  in  its 
resting-place,  undisturbed,  the  treasure  of  the  sea. 
All  that  day  the  wind  continued  fair  from  the 
north-west,  and  all  the  night  following.  The  Ante- 
lope made  a  good  run,  and  it  was  hoped  that  now 
they  might  reach  their  destination  without  any 
further  trouble ;  but,  on  the  following  day,  they 
found  that  these  hopes  were  premature,  and  that 
trials  ye*  awaited  them  ;  for,  on  going  to  the  deck, 
they  saw,  all  around,  and  above,  and  beneath,  their 
old  enemy  —  the  enemy  that  they  detested  —  the 

fog. 

Yes,  the  fog  was  upon  them  —  like  some  stealthy, 
vigilant,  inexorable  foe,  who,  finding  them  thus 
setting  forth  on  their  last  voyage  for  home,  now 
advanced  upon  them  from  all  sides,  to  assail  them 
for  the  last  time.  Bruce  saw  this  first,  and  groaned. 
Arthur  groaned  likewise.  So  did  Tom  and  Phil. 
And  so  did  Bart  and  Pat.  As  for  Solomon,  lie  took 
no  notice  of  it  whatever,  but  devoted  himself,  as 
usual,  to  his  pots  and  pans,  while  Captain  Corbet 
had  far  too  philosophical  a  soul,  and  far  too  much 
experience  of  such  a  situation,  to  be  disturbed  in 
the  slightest  degree  by  so  commonplace  a  matter. 

"  I  don't  like  this,"  said  Bruce,  after  a  long  and 
most  unhappy  silence,  which  told  more  eloquently 
than  words  their  opinions  as  to  this  last  mischance. 
"  I  didn't  expect  it." 

"  We  might  have  expected  it,"  said  Arthur, 
"judging  from  the  past.    We've  had  enough  of  it 


ii*: 


240 


THE   TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


to  make  it  seem  natuial.  Still,  I  didn^t  expect  it,  I 
must  say,  any  more  than  you  did." 

"  For  my  part,"  said  Phil,  "  I  had  forgotten  all 
about  it,  and  thought  that  the  Atlantic  Ocean  would 
be  like  Mahone  Bay." 

"  1  wish  we  had  left  the  Antelope,"  said  Tom, 
"  and  gone  off  by  land,  as  Captain  Corbet  advised, 
either  to  Grand  Pre,  or  anywhere  else." 

"  0,  sure  an  it'll  blow  over,  so  it  will,"  said  Pat. 

"  Not  it." 

''  Sure  an  it's  best  to  be  afther  lookin  on  the 
bright  side." 

"  There  isn't  any  bright  side  to  the  fog  that  I 
could  ever  see,"  said  Tom. 

"  Well,"  said  Bart,  "  we'll  have  to  do  as  we've 
done  before  —  grin  and  bear  it." 

"  But  it's  a  great  deal  harder  to  grin  now  than 
it  used  to  be,"  said  Phil,  plaintively ;  "  and  I  can't 
bear  it  at  all." 

"  O,  well.  Captain  Corbet  '11  work  his  way  along. 
He  understands  fog,  at  any  rate." 

*'  Well,  I  don't  altogether  think  so,"  said  Bruce. 
"After  losing  himself  so  utterly  a  few  days  ago, 
and  fetching  up  at  Sable  Island,  I  rather  begin  to 
doubt  his  power  to  understand  fog.'* 

"0,  well,  that  was  in  a  strange  place." 

"  Well,  this  is  a  strange  place." 

"  Not  quite.  We  are  getting  well  on  towards 
the  Bay  of  Fundy."      ^ 

"  Well,  we're  not  there  yet.     As  yet,  we're  in 


C0RBET*8  INDECISION. 


241 


expect  it,  I 

orgotten  all 
zcean  would 

'  said  Tom, 
bet  advised, 

[,"  said  Pat. 

okin  on  the 

3  fog  that  I 

do  as  we've 

in  now  than 
*  and  I  can't 

1  way  along. 

said  Bruce. 
w  days  ago, 
ler  begin  to 


5. 


» 


on  towards 
et,  we^re  in 


the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Now,  Captain  Corbet  got 
lost  once  before  in  this  same  place,  —  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  —  and  it's  my  fixed  belief  that  he'll  do  it 


1) 


agam 

"  0,  we  know  where  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  is 
now,  and  we're  all  right.  I'm  determined  to  look 
on  the  bright  side." 

"  Well,  and  I'm  determined  to  be  prepared  for 
the  worst." 

The  event  showed  that  this  fog  did  not  have  a 
bright  side,  and  that  it  was  wiser,  in  these  circum- 
stances, to  be  prepared  for  the  worst.  That  day 
passed,  and  the  .fog  still  held  on.  The  wind  that 
brought  the  fog  was  strong,  steady,  and  sustained, 
showing  neither  violence  nor  irresolution,  but 
blowing  in  a  way  that  promised  to  last  long  after 
their  stock  of  patience  was  exhausted.  It  was  a 
sou'-wester,  the  wind  of  fog  and  storm. 

After  another  day  had  passed.  Captain  Corbet's 
face  assumed  an  expression,  the  meaning  of  which 
was  but  too  well  known  to  all  the  boys  through  sad 
experience.  That  meaning  was,  that  he  was  puz- 
zled, that  he  was  uncertain,  hesitating,  and  not 
decided  where  to  go.  And  the  boys  discussed  this 
among  themselves,  and  perceived  that  once  again 
their  good,  their  venerable,  their  modest,  but,  after 
all,  somewhat  incapable  commander  had  again  lost 
his  way. 

"  Ye  see,"  said  he  to  Bruce,  who  mentioned  this 
to  him  in  a  mild  way,  —  "  y©  see  thar's  ben  so  much 
16 


ii 


r^ 


242 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


tackin  backard  an  forard  that  I  kine  o'  got  out  o'  tho 
knack  of  it,  an  thar's  a  kink  or  two  in  my  caPla- 
tions.  Ef  we  hadn't  got  to  alius  beat  up  agin  tliis 
sou'-wester,  we'd  manage  to  keep  a  better  course ; 
but,  as  it  is,  we  ain't  got  no  course  in  pa'ticular, 
wuth  mentionin.  An  then  thar's  them  tides,  an 
currents,  an  all  that ;  an  v/hat  with  them,  an  tackin, 
an  the  fog,  why,  it's  got  to  be  precious  hard  nav- 
igatin." 

"  But  why  don't  you  keep  well  in  to  the  Nova 
Scotia  shore  *i  "  ' 

"  Wal,  that  thar's  the  very  identical  thin;^  I'm  a 
drivin  at,  an  I  dar  say,  if  the  fog  was  to  lift,  you'd 
see  it  quite  handy  over  thar.'*' 

*•  But  where  are  we  now  ?  " 

"  Wal,  as  nigh  as  I  can  cal'clate,  we've  about  got 
to  the  end  of  Nova  Scotia ;  an  I've  a  mind  to  take 
a  long  tack  to  the  iiothe-west,  next  turn,  an  hain't 
got  no  reasonable  doubt  but  what  we'll  keep  on  till 
we  fetch  up  in  old  Fundy." 

All  this  was  rather  disheartening  to  the  boys. 
They  saw  that  Captain  Corbet  did  not  even  profess 
to  have  any  exact  knowledge  of  his  position,  and, 
judging  from  the  past,  they  did  not  believe  that  he 
had  any.  Still,  the  change  of  course  which  he 
announced  was  something,  and  it  seemed  to  afford 
some  slight  material  for  hope. 

At  length  the  Antelope  came  round  on  her  next 
tack,  and,  taking  a  north-west  course,  she  kept  it 
for  some  time.     At  first  the  captain  was  rather 


i. 


STRIKING   OF  THE   SCHOONER. 


243 


^Ot  out  O'  tllG 

in  my  cal'la- 
up  agin  tliis 
Btter  course  • 
in  pa'ticular, 
)m  tides,  an 
m,  an  tackin, 
us  hard  nav- 

to  the  Nova 

thing  I'm  a 
to  lift,  you'd 


ve  about  got 
mind  to  take 
rn,  an  hain't 
1  keep  on  till 

to  the  boys, 
even  profess 
position,  and, 
lieve  that  he 
je  whicli  he 
Qed  to  afford 

on  her  next 

,  she  kept  it 

was  rather 


watchful :  but,  after  three  or  four  hours,  his  vigi- 
lance began  to  relax,  and  at  length  he  ventured  to 
announce  to  the  boys  that  they  must  be  in  the  Bay 
of  Fundy. 

''  An  when  I'm  here,  in  this  Bay  o'  Fundy,  boys, 
mind  you,"  said  he,  with  something  of  exulta- 
tion in  his  tone,  —  "  when  I'm  here,  why,  I'm  to 
hum.  These  waters  was  the  place  whar  I  sported 
in  boyhood's  days.  Here  I  matoored  into  a  man. 
Here  I've  held  commoon  with  the  ragin  biller,  an 
rode  on  the  kerest  of  the  toomultus  ocean.  You 
can't  disturb  me  when  I'm  in  old  Fundy.  It's  my 
hum.  Fog  an  tide  hev  ben  my  companions  from 
childhood,  an  the  Bay  of  Fundy  recognizes  in  the 
aged  Corbet  her  —  " 

But  what  he  w?*-  going  to  say  was  never  said, 
for  the  word  was  taken  out  )f  his  mouth,  and  ex- 
changed for  the  interjection,  — 

"  Hallo  1 " 

The  Antelope  had  come  to  a  sudden  stop.  The 
shock  was  strong  enough  to  knock  Captain  Corbet 
on  his  knees,  and  huddle  all  the  boys  together  in  a 
startled  and  struggling  crowd. 

In  an  instant  Corbet  was  on  his  feet,  and  rushed 
forward  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  The  boys 
followed.  The  helm  was  left  to  take  ^.ire  of  itself, 
and  the  sails  snapped  and  fluttered  in  the  wind. 
All  was  confusion. 

"  Why,  I  do  believe,"  said  the  captain,  "  I  do  rail- 
ly  believe  she's  struck  !  Dear  me  I  Wal,  I  never  i 
This  —  dooB  —  beat  —  mv  —  e:randraother  ! " 


IH 


l'<  I' I, 
I   'I'll 

h 


244 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


'^3ffl 


0 


This  allusion  to  his  grand r.iot-her,  under  such 
circumstances,  far  from  reassviring  the  boys,  only 
excited  their  alarm  the  more,  and  made  them  think 
that  their  revered  commander  had  lost  his  senses. 

*'  Boys,"  cried  Bruce,  "  the  Antelope's  struck, 
and  is  sinking.  We'll  have  to  tako  to  the  boat. 
I'll  fill  a  keg  of  water.  The  rest  of  you  gather  a 
supply  of  biscuit  for  a  week,  and  one  of  you  bring 
the  compass." 

"  0,  no ;  don't  trouble  yourselves,"  said  Captain 
Corbet.  '*It's  —  it's  —  not  —  the  slightest  conse- 
kence.     Don't  —  don't  —  hurry." 

But  these  and  other  words  were  lost  on  the 
boys,  who,  now  in  the  full  conviction  that  the  Ante- 
lope was  sinking,  hurried  to  do  as  Bruce  had  told 
them. 

But  Tom  and  Pat  held  back.  Pat  rushed  to  the 
mainmast,  and  busied  himself  with  some  ropes;  and 
Tom  went  to  the  pump,  and,  after  taking  a  peep 
into  the  hold,  began  pumping. 

After  a  minute  or  so  he  called  out, — 

"  I  say,  boys,  there's  no  hurry.  There's  no 
water  in  her." 

These  words  made  the  others  desist  from  their 
preparations.  Seeing  Tom  pumping,  it  struck  them 
all  that  this  was  better  than  taking  to  the  boat ;  so 
they  all  hurried  to  his  help.  As  yet,  however, 
there  was  nothing  to  be  done. 

"  0,  thar's  no  danger  in  p'tic'lar,"  said  Captain 
Corbet,    ^'  She's  struck  a  sand-bank,  paps,  or,  paps, 


PERILOUS  POSITION. 


245 


under  such 
boys,  only 
them  think 
his  senses. 
3e's  struck, 
-0  the  boat. 
)u  gather  a 
»f  you  bring 

aid  Captain 
itest  conse- 

ost  on  the 
it  the  Ante- 
ce  had  told 

shed  to  the 

ropes ;  and 

:iug  a  peep 


rhere's  no 

from  their 
truck  them 
le  boat ;  so 
,  however, 

id  Captain 
s,  or,  paps, 


a  reef,  somewhars.  An  now  I  wonder  whar  it 
can  be." 

To  this  remark,  wliicli  showed  his  utter  igno- 
rance of  the  situation,  the  boys  had  no  reply  to 
make.  Bruce,  however,  tied  an  iron  belaying-pin 
to  a  rope,  and  began  sounding  for  bottom.  At  the 
stern  he  found  three  fathoms,  at  the  bows  only 
three  feet.  He  took  a  boat-hook,  and,  plunging  it 
down  into  the  water  at  the  bows,  found  that  it  was 
smooth  sand,  and  the  bows  were  resting  upon  it. 
This  gave  some  comfort,  for  he  hoped  that  they 
might  yet  escape. 

But  the  wind  was  strong,  and  the  waves  made 
the  Antelope  roll  and  work  about  in  her  sandy  bed 
after  a  most  unpleasant  fashion.  If  this  continued 
long,  the  boys  knew  that  the  schooner  would  be 
lost,  for  she  could  not  resist  such  a  strain  as  this. 
Still,  they  turned  their  thoughts  now  rather  to  the 
task  of  saving  her,  if  possible,  than  taking  to  the 
boat;  and  so,  lowering  the  sails,  so  as  to  lessen 
the  effect  of  the  wind  upon  her,  they  set  to  work, 
some  "with  the  sweeps  rowing,  and  others  with  the 
boat-hook  pushing,  anr"  thus  they  tried  to  get  her 
off  the  sand-bank. 

"  It's  about  the  best  thing  we  can  do,"  said  Cap- 
tain Corbet,  in  a  patronizing  tone  ;  "  an  we'll  do  it 
yet.     An  I  dare  say  the  tide'll  lift  us." 

This  mention  of  the  tide  cheered  the  boys.  If 
the  tide  was  rising,  they  could  hope ;  if  not,  it 
would  be  bad  for  them.     A  little  calculation  showed 


246 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


them  that  it  could  not  be  falling,  but  must  be  rising, 
and  this  discovery  made  them  work  with  renewed 
energy.  • 

At  length  they  had  the  satisfaction  of  finding 
that  their  efforts  were  successful.  The  water  at 
the  bows  deepened ;  the  schooner  moved.  She 
was  afloat !  Quickly  the  sails  were  hoisted,  and 
the  Antelope,  catching  the  wind,  came  round,  and 
once  more  sought  the  deep  water. 


!         • 


3. 


AGAIN   AT  SEA. 


247 


list  be  rising, 
nth  renewed 

'n  of  findinjr 
rhe  water  at 
moved.  She 
hoisted,  and 
9  round,  and 


)'  ■  ; . 
5r 


XX. 

Once  more  upon  the  Waters.  —  Terrible  Discovery, 
— A  Foot  of  Water  in  the  Hold.  —  To  the  Pumps. 

'  —  A  desperate  Struggle.  —  21ie  Evening  Meal.  — 
Captain  Corbet  gazes  on  Vacancy.  —  A  laborious 
Night  —  New  Toils.  —  Exhaustion.  —  Fighting 
with  the  rising  Waters.  —  Discouragement.  —  The 
Leak  gains  on  them.  —  The  End  approaching. 

CiK  UT  though  the  Antelope  was  once  more  in 
jj^  deep  water,  their  troubles  were  not  yet  over, 
^^^  for  others  soon  arose  almost  as  grave  as  the 
one  from  which  they  had  just  escaped.  First  of  all, 
the  uncertainty  of  Captain  Corbet  as  to  his  position 
had  evidently  returned.  He  had  that  expression 
of  concern,  bewilderment,  and  confusion  which 
shows  a  puzzled  mind.  He  said  nothing,  but,  after 
about  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  run,  brought  the  Ante- 
lope about,  and  went  on  another  tack.  And  now 
the  wind,  which  all  day  had  been  rather  fresh,  began 
to  lessen  more  and  more,  until  after  about  a  couple 
of  hours  it  had  almost  died  away. 

All  this  time  Solomon  had  been  on  deck.     He 
had  come  up  when  the  Antelope  struck,  and  bad 


(ir 


■»»»*!■ 


m^ 


•'if: 

,m 


248 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


worked  away  with  the  rest  in  their  efforts  in  get- 
ting her  off.  Afterwards  he  had  remained,  out  of 
a  natural  feeling  of  curiosity,  to  see  whether  any 
more  rocks  or  sand-banka  were  to  be  encountered. 
This  danger,  however,  now  seemed  to  have  passed 
away,  and  Solomon  became  mindful  of  the  duties  of 
a  cook.  He  therefore  went  below  to  prepare  the 
evening's  repast. 

Scarcely  had  he  done  so,  than  he  bounded  up 
again  out  of  the  hold  upon  deck.     His  eyes  were 
staring,   his  jaw   dropped,  and  if  his  black  face 
could  have  shown  anything  like   pallor,  it  would . 
have  done  so  at  that  moment. 

"  Da-da-da-dars  —  a  —  leak.  Da-da-dars  a  foot  of 
water  down  below  ! "  he  gasped. 

At  this  astounding  and  alarming  intelligence  the 
boys  rushed  down  into  the  hold.  Solomon's  infor- 
mation was  right.  Over  the  floor  there  was  as  much 
as  six  incheb  of  water,  and  everything  that  lay 
there  was  saturated. 

At  once  the  whole  truth  flashed  upon  them. 
The  Antelope  had  rolled  and  twisted  herself  on  the 
pand-bank  so  much,  that  her  timbers  and  planks 
had  been  opened,  and  a  dangerous  leak  had  been 
established.  It  was  not  a  broken  place,  or  a  hole 
that  could  be  stopped  up,  but  evidently  some 
general  leakage  arising  from  the  strain  to  which 
she  had  been  subjected. 

This  served,  in  the  opinion  of  all,  to  fill  up  the 
measure  of  their  troubles.     Bad  enough  it  was  to 


.3. 


'fforta  in  get- 
itiined,  out  of 

whether  any 
encountered. 
>  have  passed 
the  duties  of 

prepare  the 

bounded  up 
18  eyes  were 
8  bkxck  face 
or,  it  would . 

iars  a  foot  of 

dligence  the 
men's  infor- 
was  as  much 
ig   that  lay 

upon  them, 
jrself  on  the 
and  planks 
t  had  been 
3,  or  a  hole 
ently  some 
n  to  which 

> 

fill  up  the 
1  it  was  to 


(r. 

0 
r 
0 

c 


VI 

i 

p) 

V> 

X 

r 

> 


n3 

is 
% 


r*^'^ 


'     ^'^  'Mil 


«.'  ~i  ; 


TO  THE  PUMPS. 


249 


be  enclosed  in  the  fog ;  bad  enough  to  be  without 
any  knowledge  of  their  situation-;  bad  enough  to 
be  in  the  vicinity  of  dangerous  shoals,  and  perbf'ps 
rocks;  but  in  addition  to  all  this,  to  hp.ve  their 
vessel  leaking,  this  indeed  was  a  thing  which 
might  well  cause  despair.  And  accordingly  at  the 
first  sight  of  the  water  in  the  hold,  every  one  of 
them  stood  as  if  paralyzed,  and  looked  on  motion- 
less and  in  dead  silence. 

Bart  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence. 

"Come,  boys,"  said  he.  "  We've  every  one  of 
us  been  in  worse  scrapes  than  this.  After  being 
on  a  water-logged  ship,  we  oughtn't  to  care  for  a 
few  inches  of  water.  Let's  go  to  the  pump,  and 
see  if  we  can't  get  rid  of  this.'' 

Saying  this,  Bart  leaped  up  to  the  deck,  and 
sprang  to  the  pump,  followed  by  all  the  others. 
Only  two  of  them  could  work  at  a  time.  Bart  and 
Phil,  worked  aAvay  first,  till  they  were  exhausted. 
Then  Arthur  and  Pat  took  hold,  and  were  relieved 
by  Brac3  and  Tom.  They  worked  vigorously,  and 
with  a  will,  in  all  the  freshness,  too,  of  their  first 
efforts.  Every  one  of  them  had  a  confident  expec- 
tation that  this  labor  would  be  successful,  and  that 
a  half  an  hour,  at  the  farthest,  would  be  enough  to 
pump  the  schooner  <]ry.  But  a  half  hour  passed, 
and  yet  that  result  was  not  accomplished.  There 
was  a  difference  certainly,  but  not  anything  like 
what  they  had  wished.  Judging  from  the  amount 
of  labor  that  they  had  put  forth  in  this  half  hour, 


250 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


hi^: 


m 


:i ! 


and  the  slight  result,  they  were  filled  with  dismay 
at  the  prospect  before  them. 

"  Well,"  said  Tom,  *'  it  ain't  what  we  expected ; 
but  I  dare  say  we  expected  too  much.  Perhaps 
we  ought  to  be  satisfied  if  we  find  that  we  can 
keep  the  water  under." 

"  But  can  we  do  it  ?  "  said  Bruce. 

"  Of  course  we  can.  Haven't  we  been  doing 
it?" 

"  We  have  —  certainly.  But  how  long  can  we 
keep  at  this  sort  of  work  ?  Why,  the  pump'll  have 
to  be  kept  going  day  and  night." 

Wade  and  Solomon  now  went  to  work  ;  but  their 
efforts  made  no  very  perceptible  diminution  in  the 
water  in  addition  to  what  had  already  taken  place. 

^  I'm  afraid,"  said  Bruce,  "  that  the  leak  gets 
steadily  worse." 

'^'Whyso?" 

"  Well,  because  Solomon  and  Wade  don't  do 
more  than  any  two  of  us." 

"  0,  they  don't  work  with  such  a  will." 

"  Perhaps  not.  But  in  pumping,  I  dare  say 
steadv  efforts  liko  theirs  amount  to  as  much  at  least 
as  our  quick  way  of  working;  and  besides,  they're 
stronger,  and  ought  to  do  more.  I  think  the  leak 
is  worse." 

"  0,  I  don't  believe  it." 

"  Well,  it  took  about  two  hours  for  the  water  to 
come  in  that's  in  her  now.  If  it  had  been  coming 
in  so  slowly  as  that,  we  would  have  pumped  her 


). 


THE  LEAK  INCREASING. 


251 


with  dismay 

e  expected; 
h.  Perhaps 
that  we  can 


been  doing 

long  can  we 
pump'll  have 

k;  but  their 
iiition  in  the 
taken  place, 
e  leak  gets 


e   don't  do 

9 

dare  say 
uch  at  least 
des,  they're 
ik  the  leak 


e  water  to 
en  coming 
limped  her 


dry  by  this  time.  But  the  fact  is,  the  more  we  pump, 
the  faster  the  water  comes  in.  I  think  it  is  work- 
ing its  way  through  new  seams  and  crevices." 

There  was  no  further  reply  to  this ;  but  not  long 
afterwards,  when  Bruce  and  Tom  had  pumped 
with  unusual  vigor,  they  examined  the  hold  once 
more.  They  found  about  six  inches  of  water.  The 
wat  had  gained  therefore.  It  had  come  back  to 
tlie  amount  which  had  been  there  when  they  first 
began.  These  last  efforts  had  gained  nothing.  In 
spite  of  all  the  water  that  had  been  poured  out 
over  the  side,  the  quantity  below  was  the  same. 
There  was  no  longer  the  slightest  doubt  that  the 
leak  was  increasing,  and  that,  too,  with  a  rapidity 
that  was  very  alarming.  And  while  the  leak  thus 
gained  power,  their  own  efforts  could  not  possibly 
increase  beyond  what  they  had  already  been^  but, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  would,  on  the  contrary, 
rather  decrease.  And  yet  there  was  nothing  else 
to  be  done  biit  to  pump  on,  for  if  they  relinquished 
their  efforts,  they  were  lost.  So  they  kept  at  it, 
taking  turns  as  before,  and  while  any  two  were  at 
the  pump,  the  others  occupied  themselves  with 
watching  the  water  beneath. 

In  one  of  the  intervals.  Solomon  prepared  the 
evening  meal.  It  was  later  than  usual,  and  any 
other  than  he  would  have  omitted  it  altogether. 
But  Solomon  knew  too  well  its  importance,  and  felt 
that  now  it  was,  perhaps,  of  more  importance  than 
ever.     The  boys  also,  in  the  intervals  which  they 


;S.' 


*'*Hiiiii 


252 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


had,  prepared  provisions  for  the  boat.  They  put 
in  oars,  the  boat's  mast  and  sail,  two  kegs  of  water, 
amounting  to  about  twenty  gallons,  a  barrel  of  bis- 
cuit, a  ham,  and  a  few  other  articles.  In  this  way 
they  endeavored  to  prepare  themselves  for  the 
worst,  and  to  have  everything  ready  when  the 
critical  moment  should  arrive. 

AH  this  time  Captain  Corbet  was  mooning  at  the 
helm.  He  occasionally  offered  a  remark,  of  which, 
however,  no  heed  was  taken  by  the  busy  company. 
They  had  something  else  to  do. 

"  Ef  I'd  ony  a  come  straight  along  from  Bosting," 
said  he,  on  one  of  those  occasions,  —  "  ef  I  now  at 
this  moment  was  a  navigatin  from  Bosting,  I'd  know 
whar  I  be.  For  I  never  know  that  I  ever  did 
lose  my  reckonin  on  one  of  them  thar  vyges.  But 
comin  up  in  this  here  roundabout  circuous  way 
from  them  outlandish  seas,  made  me  kine  o'  git 
everythin  upset  and  jumbled  together  in  my  old 
head.  An  now  where  air  we  ?  'Tis  a  pint  I  long 
to  know.     Bles^t  if  I  know. 

"  I  should  he.  pleased,"  he  continued,  in  a  medi- 
tative tone,  "  to  find  out  what  course  is  the  best 
for  us  jest  now ;  though  for  that  matter  thar  ain't 
overly  much  wind,  and  I  don't  seem  to  see  how  we 
could  sail  anywhars,  even  ef  we  wanted  to  go,  an 
knowed  jest  the  pint  to  go  to.  But  as  soon's  the 
wind  does  rise,  I  have  an  idee  of  the  course  I'm 
goin  to  take." 

"  What's  that?"  asked  Bart,  who  happened  to  be 


T 


A  DESPERATE  STRUGGLE. 


253 


They  put 
^8  of  water, 
irrel  of  bis- 
In  this  way 
i^es  for  the 
r  when  the 

)ning  at  the 
k,  of  which, 
sy  company. 

m  Bosting," 
ef  I  now  at 
ig,  Vd  know 
I  ever  did 
k^ges.  But 
cuous  way 
kine  o'  git 
in  mv  old 
pint  I  long 

in  a  raedi- 
s  the  best 
thar  ain't 
ee  how  we 
d  to  go,  an 
soon's  the 
course  Pm 

)ened  to  be 


near  and  hear  this  last  remark.  It  seemed  to  him  a 
good  sign  that  Captain  Corbet  should  have  any 
theory  now  about  his  position. 

"  Wal,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  "  it  kine  o'  seems  to 
rae  as  if  the  best  way  would  be  to  head  her  nothe- 
east.  We  can't  head  her  nothe  agin  in  this  fog ; 
r'else  we'll  hit  another  rock  ;  but  ef  we  keep  her 
nothe-east,  we  may  dodge  the  rocks,  an  fetch  up 
Bomewhars." 

At  this  utterly  vague  and  unsatisfactory  state- 
ment Bart  turned  away,  more  disheartened  than 
ever. 

That  night  the  boys  took  turns  till  about  mid- 
night, when  they  all  turned  in,  leaving  Solomon, 
Wade,  and  the  captain  to  take  turns  pumping  till 
morning.  The  wind  had  gone  down  almost  alto- 
gether, and  the  sea  was  quite  smooth.  The  water  in 
the  hold  remained  at  about  the  same  level ;  and  when 
the  boys  turned  in,  they  had  a  feeling  of  satisfac- 
tion at  this,  or  they  would  have  had,  if  they  had 
not  been  so  completely  worn  out.  Their  sleeping- 
place  was  not  their  usual  one.  The  water  had 
driven  them  out.  They  brought  their  mattresses 
on  deck,  rolled  themselves  up  in  blankets,  and 
curled  up  there  the  best  way  they  could.  So  they 
passed  the  night. 

On  the  following  day  they  awaked  early.  There 
was  a  moderate  breeze,  and  the  Antelope  was 
making  some  progress  running  before  it.  But  the 
fog  still  continued,  and  environed  them  on  all  sides. 


)".■ 


m 

'  1  -"  V 


254 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


Of  this,  however,  they  took  no  note  just  then. 
Their  first  thought  was  about  the  leak.  They  saw 
Wade  working  away  at  the  pump  in  that  dull,  me- 
chanical fashion  which  distinguished  him  in  every* 
thing  that  he  did.  They  said  nothing  to  him,  but 
at  once  looked  into  the  hold. 

The  sight  that  they  saw  there  confirmed  their 
worst  fears.  The  water  had  increased  during  the 
night,  and  they  saw  at  once  that  either  the  leak 
had  grown  worse,  or  else  that  the  pumping  had 
been  neglected.  Thirgs  did  not  look  well  either 
for  them  or  for  the  Antelope. 

it  We've  all  ben  a  takin  of  our  turn  thro  the 
night,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  who  was,  as  usual,  at 
the  helm.  **  It  seems  to  be  considerable  of  a  leak. 
But  I  dar  say  we'll  manage  to  keep  it  down.  The 
Antelope  hadn't  ought  to  be  a  leaky  vessel  either. 
I've  alius  took  good  car  of  her.  But  it's  that 
strain  she  got." 

'^  Why,  there's  a  foot  of  water,  at  least,"  cried 
Bart,  "  over  the  floor.  There  must  be  over  two 
feet  of  water  in  the  hold." 

"  Full  that,"  said  Arthur,  gravely.  "  At  this 
rate  we'll  have  to  take  to  the  boat  before  long." 

"  0,  thar's  no  hurr}^,"  said  Captain  Corbet ;  "  the 
old  Antelope's  dreadful  perseverin,  and  a  tremen- 
jous  hand  at  keepin  ..Iluat." 

"  Well,"  said  Bruce,  "  I  rather  think  we  may 
fight  off  the  water  to-day,  at  any  rate,  and  the  log 
may  lift  before  night." 


BALING   OUT. 


255 


just   then. 

They  saw 

t  dull,  me- 

n  in  ever>% 

to  him,  but 

rmed  their 
during  the 
3r  the  leak 
mping  had 
well  either 

•n  thro  the 
[13  usual,  at 
3  of  a  leak, 
[own.  The 
ssel  either, 
it  it's   that 

sast,"  cried 
over  two 

"At   this 
[)  long." 
rbet;  "the 

a  tremen- 

k  we  may 
id  the  fog 


"  Yes,"  said  Phil,  "  we^d  better  not  take  to  the 
boat  till  the  last  moment.  I'd  rather  be  here  tak- 
ing my  turn  at  the  pump,  than  off  in  the  boat,  not 
knowing  where  we  are  or  where  we're  going." 

"  Sure  an  it's  a  pity  there  wasn't  another  pump," 
said  Pat.  "  We  cud  do  double  the  work,  so  we 
cud.  An  I'd  be  proud  to  take  me  turrun  at  the 
pump  twice  as  often,  so  I  would." 

"  I  tell  you  what,  boys,"  said  Tom.  *'  Some  of  us 
might  bale  out  with  pails,  while  we're  not  pump- 
ing. I  wish  I  could  construct  a  siphon ;  but  I 
suppose  it  couldn't  be  managed ;  so  let's  bale.  Two 
at  the  pump,  and  the  rest  at  pails.  That  ought  to 
be  equal  to  two  pumps,  at  least." 

"  Sure  an  it'll  be  aqual  to  fower  pumps,  so  it 
will,  if  we  work  hard  enough." 

This  proposal  was  excellent  in  its  way,  only 
there  was  a  doubt  as  to  whether  they  could  muster 
four  pails.  After  some  search  two  were  found, 
and  Solomon  produced  a  tin  kettle.  This  made 
three.  Pat  then  brought  forth  a  coal  scuttle,  which 
was  well  adapted  for  the  work.  With  these  in- 
creased resources  they  now  set  to  work.  Jump- 
ing down  into  the  hold,  four  of  them  baled  out  the 
water,  and  poured  it  upon  the  deck,  from  which  it 
ran  into  the  sea.  They  worked  at  this  most  zeal- 
ously and  most  industriously  for  two  hours.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  they  were  all  utterly  ex- 
hausted. They  had  taken  turns  at  the  pump  and 
at  the  pails,  and  the  continuous  work  without  rest 


256 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


'MfC 


had  told  most  severely  upon  them  all.  They  all 
felt  that  this  would  utterly  use  them  up,  if  persisted 
in  much  longer.  At  the  same  time  they  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  a  perceptible  diminution  in 
the  water,  though  by  no  means  as  much  as  they 
had  hoped  to  fina  ;  and  they  all  felt  as  though  they 
had  not  received  an  adequate  reward  for  such  ex- 
haustive labors.  They  saw  that  if  they  hoped  to 
continue  at  the  pump,  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
to  give  up  the  baling,  and  rest  until  the  turn  of  each 
should  come.     And  so  the  baling  was  given  up. 

A  hasty  breakfast  was  taken.  Solomon  had  to 
give  up  his  work  as  cook,  and  take  his  turn  at  the 
pnmp,  and  therefore  every  one  had  to  forage  for 
himself.  Already,  however,  Solomon  had  taken 
the  precaution  to  remove  the  stores  from  the  hold 
and  cabin  up  to  the  deck,  where  they  would  be  out 
of  the  reach  of  the  water,  at  least  as  long  as  the 
schooner  could  pretend  lo  float.  Out  of  these 
stores  each  one  could  now  supply  himself  when- 
ever and  however  he  might  feel  inclined. 

Having  given  up  the  idea  of  baling,  the  boys,  in 
the  intervals  of  taking  turn  at  the  pump,  had  noth- 
ing else  to  do  now  than  to  gather  up  strength  for 
a  new  effort.  While  so  doing,  they  watched  the 
state  of  the  water  in  the  hold ;  or  tried  to  penetrate 
the  veil  of  fog  that  hung  around ;  or  listened,  hoping 
to  hear  some  sound  that  might  tell  of  ships  in  their 
neighborhood.  Sometimes,  also,  they  sounded  on  the 
"fog-horn"  of  the  Antelope  —  a  peculiar  tin  trura- 


DEPRESSION. 


257 


They  all 
if  persisted 
ey  had  the 
ninution  in 
ch  as  they 
■hough  they 
yr  such  ex- 
y  hoped  to 
y  necessary 
;urn  of  each 
iven  up. 
lion  had  to 
turn  at  the 
)  forage  for 
had  taken 
m  the  hold 
ouiil  be  out 
ong  as  the 
it  of  these 
aself  when- 
d. 

:he  boys,  in 
),  had  noth- 
brength  for 
atched  the 
o  penetrate 
led,  hoping 
ips  in  their 
nded  on  the 
r  tin  trum- 


pet with  which  every  Down  East  coaster  or  fisher 
is  provided,  and  w^hich  makes  the  most  unearthly 
sound  that  has  ever  been  contrived  by  man,  not 
even  excepting  the  yell  of  an  asthmatic  steam  whis- 
tle. But  looking,  and  listening,  and  sounding  on 
the  trumpet  were  alike  unavailing,  for  no  sight,  or 
sound,  or  answering  note  of  any  kind  came  to  them 
through  that  wall  of  mist. 

All  this  was  depressing.  The  fog  was  depressing. 
The  fact  that  they  had  lost  their  way  >vas  depress- 
ing. But  most  of  all,  their  own  exertions  proved 
depressing,  for  those  exertions  seemed  unavailing. 
Still  the  waters  crept  ahead  of  them.  They  were 
not  able  to  hold  their  own.  After  their  vigorous 
and  exhaustive  efforts  at  baling,  the  water,  held  at 
bay  for  a  time,  came  back  to  the  assault,  and  this 
time  it  triumphed  over  the  pump,  and  rose  slowly, 
yet  steadily.  By  the  close  of  the  day  the  water  in 
the  hold  was  enough  to  startle  even  the  phlegmatic 
Wade.  That  personage  had  taken  some  sleep  dur- 
ing the  afternoon,  after  a  long  tug  at  the  pump, 
and  had  snoozed  away  as  calmly  as  an  infant  until 
sunset.  On  waking  he  "walked  to  the  hold,  and 
looked  down.  The  sight  was  by  no  means  re- 
assuring. Nearly  two  feet  of  water  rolled  back- 
ward and  forward  at  the  motion  of  the  Ante- 
lope. He  shook  his  phlegmatic,  unexcitable,  un- 
demonstrative head. 

"  My  name's  Wade,"  he  said,  speaking  as  if  to 
himself.  "  An  my  old  'oman's  name's  Gipson.  An 
17 


ithi'l^-m 


1^  M 


258 


THE  '.   ASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


' 


you^l  not  find  many  o'  that  name  in  thla  country. 
No,  sir." 

He  took  another  look. 

Again  his  head  gave  a  solemn  and  portentous 
fihake. 

Then  he  said  once  more,  — 

"  No,  sir  I " 

And  tho  pump  went  on. 

And  pump  struggled  with  sea. 

And  the  sea  gained  1 


^•*.^.'.># 


'VW* 


A  m:serable  night. 


259 


lis  country. 


portentous 


XXI. 


A  miserable  Night.  —  No  one  shrinks.  —  Their  Ef- 
forts lessen.  —  Morning  comes.  —  Four  Ftet  of 
Water  in  the  Hold.  —  Take  to  the  Boat !  —  Come 
along  J  Captain!  — T7ie  Dignity  of  Corbet.  —  27ie 
Folly  of  Pat.  —  The  Insanity  of  Solomon.  — 
TJie  Imbecility  of  Wade.  —  The  Perplexity  of  the 
Boys.  —  "  Dat  ar  ole  Woman !  "  —  An  Agony 
of  Impatience.  —  Four  on  board  tempting  Fate. 

%^IGHT  came  — a  miserable  —  miserable  night  I 
J  ^  On  the  previous  night,  the  boys  had  slept ; 
^  but  this  night,  sleep  was  not  tliought  of 
y  ny  one  of  them.  Exhausted  though  they  all 
nore  by  hard  work,  they  yet  felt  the  position  of 
the  Antelope  to  be  too  perilous  to  think  of  sleep. 
It  was  a  time  for  vigilance.  It  was  a  time  when 
each  one  had  to  keep  himself  wide  awake,  aud 
hold  himself  prepared  to  rush  to  the  boat  at  a 
moment's  warning.  The  boat  floated  aptern,  as 
usual,  and  in  it  were  all  the  stores  that  miglit  be 
necessary  for  a  lengthened  row ;  but  they  wished 
to  postpone  any  recourse  to  this  boat  to  the  latest 
possible  moment.    And  all  the  time  the  Antelope 


"^iS 


jL-   - 


2G0 


THE  TRKASUHE  OF  THK  SEAS. 


held  on  her  course,  impelled  by  a  fair,  yet  mod- 
erate breeze,  that  blew  directly  astern. 

Exhausted  though  they  were,  yet  none  of  them 
shrunk  from  his  task.  All  took  turns.  Corbet 
and  Wade,  Wade  and  Solomon,  Corbet  and  Sol- 
omon ;  then  the  boys,  two  by  two,  at  the  pump ; 
each  couple  laboring  strenuously  and  conscien- 
tiously, yet  showing  the  same  result.  For,  who- 
ever it  was  that  worked,  or  whatever  was  the 
amount  of  labor  expended,  the  result  seemed  in 
each  case  a  failure  and  a  defeat.  Thev  were 
strugghng  against  a  common  enemy ;  but  the 
enemy  was  gaining.  In  spite  of  their  efforts,  the 
waters  continued  to  rise,  and  there  was  no  way 
by  which  they  could  bring  any  additional  labor  to 
bear.  Had  there  been  another  pump,  they  would 
have  been  in  a  better  position.  At  about  mid- 
night they  undertook  a  second  time  to  supple- 
ment the  pumping  with  baling,  but  again  desisted 
on  account  of  the  utter  exhaustion  which  followed 
such  severe  toil.  It  only  lessened  their  power  of 
working  at  the  pump.  So  once  more  they  gave 
it  up. 

From  that  time  on  their  efforts  grew  less  and 
less.  The  long  toil  had  told  upon  every  one  of 
them,  more  particularly  upon  the  boys.  The  la- 
bors of  Captain  Corbet,  of  Solomon,  and  of  Wade, 
were  less  vigorous  certainly ;  yet  still,  they  were 
even  and  well  sustained  ;  but  those  of  the  boys 
grew  more  and  more  fitful,  irregular,  and  feeble. 


,  yet  mod- 
no  of  them 
s.  Corbet 
it  and  Sol- 
tho  pump; 
I   conscien- 

For,  wbo- 
r  was  the 
seemed  in 
rhev  were 
;  but  the 
efforts,  the 
as  no  way 
nal  labor  to 
hey  would 
about  mid- 
to  supple- 
in  desisted 
jh  followed 
r  power  of 

they  gave 

5W  less  and 
ery  one  of 
s.  The  la- 
i  of  Wade, 
they  were 
f  the  boys 
and  feeble. 


THEIR  EFFORTS   LESSEN. 


261 


Each  time  that  any  two  of  them  came  to  take  their 
turn,  they  felt  as  though  this  must  be  +he  last. 
And  so  the  hours  and  the  labors  of  that  dreary 
night  dragged  on. 

Morning  came. 

All  the  boys  felt  that  their  capacity  for  work 
was  well  nigh  exhausted.  Morning  came,  and 
brought  the  fog.  No  land  appeared.  No  ship  was 
in  sight.  They  sounded  a  blast  on  the  fog  horn, 
but  no  reply  came. 

Morning  came,  and  brought,  worse  than  all,  the 
sight  of  four  feet  of  water  in  the  Antelope^s  hold,  — 
an  amount  so  great  that  further  pumping  was  use- 
less, and  at  the  best  could  only  delay  for  a  very 
short  time  a  doom  that  was  inevitable. 

Morning  came,  then,  and  brought  this  sight ;  and 
the  four  feet  of  water  in  the  Antelope's  hold  at 
once  forced  a  change  in  the  decision  of  those  on 
board.    , 

They  saw  that  if  they  continued  pumping  they 
might  delay  the  decisive  moment  somewhat,  but 
that  it  must  come  ;  and  if  it  came  with  all  of  them 
on  board,  they  must  sink  with  the  sinking  schoon- 
er. And  that  the  end  was  near,  they  could  see. 
There  was  no  time  for  delay.  Already  the  sig^s 
wliich  met  their  view  told  them  that 'theeiid  was 


near. 


lOWWHW''* 


"TaWl^o  the  boat  I 

This  was  now  their  thought.    To  the  boat, — 
before  it  was  too  late  I     On  board  the  boat  were 


J 


262 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


'T*ii 


mm 


m 


all  the  stores  necessnry  for  a  protracted  voyage ; 
and  they  all  began  to  feel  that  tlnVboat  was  now 
a  better  place  than  the  sinking  Antelope.  The 
boat  was  a  place  of  rest ;  a  place  more  restricted, 
yet  still,  one  which  promised  comparative  peace 
and  safety.  To  that  boat,  therefore,  they  must  go, 
before  it  was  too  late  ;  while  yet  they  could  em- 
bark in  peace,  and  move  away  from  the  doomed 
Antelope. 

Nor  was  a  resort  to  the  boat  so  hopeless  an  un- 
dertaking as  it  might  appear  to  have  been.  At 
the  worst,  they  were  in  a  part  of  the  world  where 
ships  are  frequent;  and  some  of  them  thought  that 
land  was  near  enough  to  be  seen  in  some  direction 
if  only  the  fog  should  be  dispelled.  The  stores  in 
the  boat  were  sufficient  to  sustain  life  for  a  con- 
siderable time,  and  they  would  be  free  from  the 
necessity  of  incessant  and  most  exhaustive  labor. 

There  was  now  no  time  for  any  delay  or  any 
hesitation.  They  all  felt  this.  The  sight  of  the 
Antelope's  hold  decided  them. 

They  must  take  to  the  boat, 

"  Come  along,  captain,"  said  Bart.  "  We  mustn't 
stc\y  any  ionger.  The  Antelope'll  go  down  before 
half  an  hour.  If  we  pump  any  longer  we'll  all  be 
used  up,  and  won't  delay  her  sinking  more  than 
five  minutes.     Come  along." 

"  Goin  doun  I  "  said  Captain  Jorbet,  dreamily. 
"Only  think  of  the  Antelope  goin  doun!  Dear 
me  1 


COME   ALONG,   CAPTAIN. 


263 


)d  voyage ; 
it  was  now 
lope.  Tlie 
restricted, 
tive  peace 
y  must  go, 
'  could  em- 
he  doomed 

less  an  un- 
been.  At 
3rld  where 
ought  that 
3  direction 
e  stores  in 
for  a  con- 
i  from  the 
itive  labor. 
ay  or  any 
ght  of  the 


^e  mustn't 
wn  before 
ve'll  all  be 
more  than 

dreamily, 
nl     Dear 


"Come,  captain,"  said  Bruc^,  taking  his  arm. 
"The  boat's  all  ready." 

"  0,  yes,"  said  the  captain ;  "  and  the  Antelope^s 
goin  doun  !     Dear  me  !     Only  think  of  it !  " 

"  Captain  Corbet,"  said  Arthur,  solemnly,  "  we're 
all  ready.     Come,  go  aboard  the  boat." 

"  Well  —  well  —  well,"  said  the  captain.  "  Very 
well.  0,  all  right.  0,  yes.  You  jest  git  into  the 
boat  Git  along.  Never  mind  me.  I'll  wait 
a  while,  you  know.  You  go  ahead.  I'll  jest  mean- 
der around  here  while  you're  gettin  into  the  boat. 
All  right." 

At  this  the  boys  went  off  to  the  boat,  and 
dropped  in  one  after  the  other.  Bruce,  and  Ar- 
thur, and  Tom,  and  Phil,  and  Bart.  Pat  lingered 
behind.  Those  who  had  got  into  the  boat  expected 
that  the  others  would  follow  at  once,  and  now 
looked  eagerly  towards  them. 

They  were  afloat  astern  ;  and  there,  at  the  stern 
of  the  Antelope,  stood  Captain  Corbet,  surveying 
them  with  a  melancholy  ai... 

"  Come  along,  captain,'-  said  Bart. 

"  0,  all  right.  Wait  till  the  rest  go,"  said  he. 
"Tain't  right  for  me  to  clar  out  jest  yet.  The 
captain  must  allers  be  the  last  to  quit  the  sinkin 
ship." 

At  this  the  boys  called  to  the  others,  —  to  Pat, 
who  had  lingered  behind,  to  Solomon,  and  to 
Wade. 

Pat   was   standing  b^"  the  mainmast,     To  their 


If'¥- 


264 


THE  TREASUKE   OP   THE  SEAS. 


iiiyi'^i 


amazement,  they  saw  that  he  was  busily  engaged 
in  binding  himself  to  it  with  ropes. 

"Pat,"    cried    Bart,    "  why    don't    you    hurry 


up 


?>j 


Pat  made  no  reply,  but  went  on  as  before,  sol- 
emnly and  methodically. 

"  Pat,"  cried  Tom,  "  what  in  the  world  are  you 
waiting  for  ?     Hurry  up  !     What  are  you  doing  ?  " 

"  Sure  it's  tyin  meself  to  the  mast,  I  am,"  said 
Pat. 

"  What,"  cried  Bruce,  "  tying  yourself  to  the 
mast !     What  nonsense  I     What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Sure  it's  the  right  thing  to  do,"  said  Pat.  "  It's 
what  they  allers  does,  so  ifc  is,  wheniver  a  ship 
gits  wracked.  Sure  I  know  ;  and  I  advise  you  to 
do  the  same." 

"  He's  tying  himself  to  the  mast !  "  cried  Phil. 
"  He's  mad.  He's  insane.  Some  of  us'll  have  to 
drag  him  on  board." 

"  Pat/"  cried  Bart,  "  come  along.  Are  you  cra- 
zy ?  The  Antelope's  sinking  1  What  do  you 
mean?  Stop  that.  If  you  tie  yourself  to  the 
mast,  you'll  go  down  with  her.  What  nonsense  I 
Drop  that  rope,  and  come  with  us." 

"Sure  it's  safer  here,"  said  Pat,  calmly,  "  than 
on  that  bit  of  a  beat,  so  it  is."    ' 

"  But  tho  Antelope's  sinking.'^ 

"  Sure,  don't  I  know  it?     Meself  does." 

"  But  you'll  go  down  in  her,  if  you  do  that." 

*' Arr;;!i,  what  aro   yon  tilkini;  about?     In  ship- 


r         ^ 


THE   INSANITY   OF  SOLOMON. 


265 


ly  engaged 
you  hurry 
before,  sol- 
id are  you 
)u  doing  ?  " 
I  am/'  said 

self  to  the 
mean  ?  " 
Pat.    "It's 
:ver  a  ship 
vise  you  to 

cried  Phil. 
;'II  have  to 

'e  you  cra- 
do  you 
If  to  the 
nonsense  ! 

aly,  "  than 


that." 
In  ship- 


wracks,  doesn't  everybody  tie  themselves  to  the 
mast  ?  '* 

"  What  in  the  world  shall  we  do  ?  "  cried  Bart, 
in  despair.  "  He's  crazy.  I  nevei'  saw  anything 
like  it.  He's  got  a  craze  about  tying  himself  to 
the  mast.  Don't  you  remember  how  he  did  the 
very  same  on  board  the  Petrel  ?  " 

"  We'll  have  to  go  and  untie  him,"  said  Bruce. 

"  Only  see  how  he's  fastening  and  knotting  the 
rope,"  said  Tom. 

"  We'll  have  to  seize  him,  and  bring  him  here  by 
main  force,"  said  Arthur. 

But  from  these  thoughts  they  were  now  diverted 
by  the  appearance  of  Solomon.  He  had  been  very 
busy  for  about  a  quarfer  of  r.n  hour,  and  was  now 
pulling  away  at  a  rope,  as  though  the  salvation  of 
the  whole  party  depended  upon  the  successful 
accomplishment  of  his  design. 

'^  Solomon,"  cried  Bart,  "  hurry,  hurry  !  Come 
along  I  Hurry  I  The  Antelope's  going  down 
fast  I  Hurry,  and  bring  Pat  along  with  you.  The 
captain's  waiting  till  you  leave  the  Antelope. 
Hurry  1 ' 

'^  Pse  jest  a  histin  up  dis  yer  cookin-stove,"  said 
he.  '*  Ben  tyin  de  ropes  roun  it  ebery  which  way, 
an  jes  got  her  ready  to  be  put  into  de  boat." 

"  The  what !  "  cried  Arthur. 

"De  cookin-stove,"  said  Solomon,  gravely. 

"  He's  mad  I "  cried  Bruce.    "  He's  gone  crazy. 


*»*^ 


266 


THE  TREASURE   OP   THE   SEAS. 


Pat  and  Solomon  have  both  gone  mad  with  excite- 
ment or  terror." 

"You  jes  gib  a  left  here,  an  help  dis  olo  man 
put  dis  yer  cookin-stovo  aboard  do  boat,  an  den 
you'll  be  all  right." 

"  Solomon  I  Solomon  I  "  cried  Bart,  "  what  hor- 
rible nonsense  I  What  do  you  mean  by  talking 
about  putting  a  cooking-stove  on  board  the  boat? 
Come  along.     Be  quick." 

*'  Tell  you  what,"  said  Solomon,  "  dis  yer  stove 
am  a  nessary  succiimstance.  How  you  s'pose  you 
get  you  meals  cooked  ?  Mus  hab  a  cookin-stove. 
Mus  so.  You  got  water  to  bile,  and  things  to 
cook." 

^'  Nonsense  ;  "  cried  Bart.  ''  ^an't  you  see  that 
it'll  sink  the  boat  ?  " 

''  But  what'll  you  do?  "  said  Solomon.  "  You'll 
suffer  if  you  don't  take  it.  You  mus  hab  a  cookin- 
Btove.     Mus  so  !  " 

At  this  obstinate  persistence  in  such  unaccount- 
able folly  the  boys  were  in  despair.  The  schooner 
was  sinking  lower  and  lower  every  minute,  and 
there  were  those  on  board  of  her,  wasting  precious 
time  and  chattering  nonsense.  What  could  bu  the 
meaning  of  this?  Had  terror  deprived  them  of 
their  senses  ?  It  seemed  so.  There  was  Captain 
Corbet,  absorbed  in  his  own  thoughts,  evidently 
quite  forgetful  of  the  presort  danger,  and  uncon- 
scious of  the  scene  around  hm\.  Th  ;ir'>  was  Wade, 
with   his    heavy   face   gaping  froio   Ihe  windlass, 


with  excite- 

(lis  olo  man 
•oat,  an  den 

"  what  hor- 
i  by  talking 
rd  the  boat? 

lis  yer  stove 
1  s'poso  you 
;ookin-stove. 
id  things  to 

j^ou  see  that 

n.  "  You'll 
ab  a  cookin- 

i  unaccount- 
he  schooner 
minute,  and 
ng  precious 
jould  bu  tlio 
ed  them  of 
was  Captain 
s,  evidently 
,  and  uncon- 
was  Wade, 
k:  windlass, 


mmm 


THE  PERPLEXITY  OF  THE  BOYS. 


267 


where  he  had  seated  himself.  There  was  Pat,  still 
tying  himself  t^  the  mast;  and  there  was  Solomon, 
toiling  away  at  t'o  cooking-stove.  It  was  like  a 
small  floating  lunatic  a^^ylum.  They  might  well 
feel  puzzled  and  bewildered. 

But  suddenly  one  part  of  this  very  difficult 
problem  was  solved  of  its  own  accord.  Solomon 
had  not  been  very  careful  in  the  selection  of  his 
hoisting  apparatus.  He  had  picked  up  some  bits 
of  rope,  and  fastened  them  around  the  cooking- 
sto.e  for  slings,  and  into  this  he  had  passed  the 
hook  from  the  schooner's  tackle.  He  pulled  and 
labored  away,  hoisting  the  heavy  stove,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  raising  it  about  half  way  above  the 
hatches.  A  few  more  pulls,  and  it  would  have 
been  on  the  deck.  But  there's  many  a  slip  ^twixt 
cup  and  lip  ;  and  so  it  was  destined  to  prove  in 
this  case.  For  at  the  very  moment  when  the  stove 
hung  thus  suspended,  the  slings  suddenly  gave 
way,  and  with  a  rush  the  heavy  mass  descended, 
falling  with  a  loud  crash  to  the  bottom,  and  with  a 
force  ihat  seemed  sufficient  to  break  through  the 
Antelope's  bottom.     There  it  hj  —  a  ruin  ! 

Solomon  stood  and  stared  in  silence  at  the  scene. 
A.t  length,  drawing  a  long  breath,  he  raised  his 
head  and  looked  at  the  boys. 

"  Dar,"  said  he  ;  "  dat  ar's  alius  de  way ;  troubles 
neber  comes  single.  Dis  yer  shows  dat  de  end  am 
come.  Smasli  goes  de  ^ookin-stove,  an  shows  dat 
dis  yer  scursium's  a  goin  lo  tumminate  in  clam-ty. 


to  » 


;'     ^    ■    !:t;- 


V.  I 


'J9{liK»'-' 


ll!ll!lllllll|l 


i''if''!'! 


illll 


268 


THE  TREASURE    OP  THE  SEAS. 


Dar  ain't  a  goin  to  be  no  more  eatin  in  dis  yer 

party  ;  dat's  all  done  up.'^ 

"  Solomon  !  Solomon  !  "  cried  Bart,  "  hurry  up ! '' 
"  Solomon  !      Pat !       Wade  !       Captain  Corbet ! 

Come  !     Quick  !     Hurry  up  !     Quick  !  " 

Such  were  the  cries  that  now  burst  from  those 
the   hi  ^t.     They   were    floating  close  by  tho 


lii 


schooner,  so  as  to  be  convenient  for  those  who 
were  yet  on  board.  They  had  seen  the  destruc- 
tion of  tho  unfortunate  cooking-stove,  and  were 
now  eager  to  get  away  before  the  schooner  should 
sink.  But  their  patience  was  destined  to  be  still 
further  taxed,  for  Solomon  continued  to  make  ob- 
servations on  the  fallen  stove  ;  and  Pat  went  on 
winding  the  rope  about  himself  and  the  mast ;  and 
Wade  sat  motionless  on  the  windlass  ;  and  Captain 
Corbet  stood  in  the  same  attitude  as  before,-— in 
the  attitude  habitual  with  him,  his  hands  mechan- 
ically grasping  the  tiller,  and  his  mild  eyes  fixed 
before  him,  as  though  he  was  s+ill  steering 
the  Antelope,  and  watching  some  shore  ahead. 
But  before  him  there  was  only  fog ;  and  what 
he  might  have  seen  was  not  visible  to  the  ma- 
terial eye. 

'*  No  use,"  said  Solomon.  "  Dese  yer  may  go, 
but  I'se  boun  to  stay.  De  captain  may  go  ;  an 
mas'r  Wade,  he  may  go ;  an  Pat  mus  frow  away 
dera  ropes.  But  for  me,  Pse  goin  to  stick  to  de 
ole  Antelope." 


T 


FOUR  ON  BOARD  TEMPTING  FATE. 


269 


n  in  dis  yer 

'  hurry  up ! " 
tain  Corbet! 

it  from  those 
jloso  by  tho 
r  those  who 
the  destruc- 
3,   and   were 
looner  should 
ed  to  be  still 
[  to  make  ob- 
Pat  went  on 
be  mast ;  and 
;  and  Captain 
before,  — in 
ands  mechan- 
id  eyes  fixed 
+ill    steering 
shore  ahead. 
9- ;  and  what 
to  the  ma- 
yor may  go, 
may  go  ;  an 
s  frow  away 
;o  stick  to  de 


"But  she's  sinking,  and  sinking  fast,'*  cried 
Bart,  with  feverish  impatience. 

"  Dar's  no  odds  to  dis  ole  man.  Ef  I  can't  stick 
to  de  Antelope,  I  don't  want  to  go  no  whars  else. 
Dar's  somebody  a  waitin  for  me,  an  I  ain't  a  goin 
to  'spose  mysef  to  her,  no  how." 

"But  you'll  be  drowned  ;  you'll  be  drowned. 
0,  Solomon ! "  cried  Bart,  "  cut  Pat's  ropes,  and 
make  him  come  ;  and  hurry." 

"  Come,  come,  captain.  Make  haste.  Cut  Pat's 
ropes,  Solomon.  Come,  Wade.  The  schooner'll 
go  down  in  five  minutes!" 

"  Don't  care  ! "  said  Solomon  ;  "  don't  care  a 
mite.  I'se  dreadful  fraid  ob  dat  ar  ole  woman. 
I'd  rader  be  drowned  here  dis  yar  way,  dan  be 
hammered  to  def  wid  a  red-hot  poker.  Dat's  so  ; 
mind  I  tell  vou." 

The  boys  were  now  in  an  agony  of  impatience 
and  anxiety.  The  waters  were  high  in  the  hold 
of  the  Antelope.  They  could  see,  from  where  they 
stood  in  the  boat,  the  dark  gleam  of  the  rising 
fiood,  and  knew  that  any  moment  might  now  wit- 
ness the  last  plunge  of  the  schooner  into  the  depths 
below.  And  so  they  shouted,  and  screamed,  and 
called  upon  every  one  in  succession  of  those  who 
still  so  madly  lingered  behind.  But  their  cries 
were  unheeded  ;  for  those  four  on  the  deck  of  the 
Antelope  made  not  the  slightest  movement  in  re- 
sponse. 

When  the  boys  had  lef.  the  Antelope,  the  w^ater 


i,     1 


270 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


in  her  hold  was  about  four  feet  in  depth.  All  the 
time  since  then  it  had  been  increasing  ;  yet,  after 
all,  though  the  time  seemed  long  to  the  anxious 
boys,  not  over  a  quarter  of  an  hour  had  elapsed  in 
reality. 


Km 


I 


f.  • 


RISE  OF  THE  WATERS. 


271 


.th.  All  the 
r ;  yet,  after 
the  anxious 
,d  elapsed  in 


XXII. 


The  Waters  rise.  —  The  Boys  try  Force.  —  Attack 
on  Pat.  —  He  is  overpowered.  —  My  Name's 
Wade.  —  An  Irish  Howl.  —  Solomon  immovable. 
—  The  Ancient  Mariner  at  his  Post.  -  -  The  Boys 
jiy.  —  Flight  of  Solomon.  —  ^^Drefful  Times."  — 
Captain  Corbet  sings  his  Death  Song.  — A  Rhap- 
sody on  the  Antelope.  —  The  rising  Waters.  — 
Tlie  doomed  Schooner.  —  The  rolling  Seas. —  The 
Antelope  sinking.  —  The  Form  of  Corbet  slowly 
disappearing  beneath  the  raging  Seas. 

HE  waters  continued  to  rise  in  the  hold  of 
the  Antelope,  and  inch  by  inch  the  doomed 
schooner  settled  slowly  down  into  the  depths 
beneath.  On  the  deck  stood  those  four  who  still 
held  aloof  from  the  boat,  and  seemed  to  be  animated 
by  some  insane  or  unintelligible  motive.  By  the 
side  of  the  schooner  floated  the  boat,  in  which  were 
Bruce,  Arthur,  Tom,  Phil,  and  Bart.  They  were 
all  standing  up,  and  holding  tlie  Antelope's  rail, 
and  shouting,  bawHng,  ypUing,  entreating,  threat- 
ening, and  using  every  possible  means  to  save  their 
unfortunate  companions. 


272 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


Suddenly  Bart  drew  his  knife. 

"  Boys  !  "  said  he,  ''  we'll  have  to  drag  them  ofT. 
Bruce  and  Arthur,  come  along.  Tom  and  Phil,  you 
mind  the  boat." 

With  these  words  ho  jumped  on  board  the  Ante- 
lope, with  his  open  knife  in  his  hand.  .Bruce  and 
Arthur  leaped  on  board  after  him. 

The  sight  of  Bart,  with  his  open  knife,  thus 
bounding  on  board  the  Antelope,  astonished  the 
other  boys,  who  began  to  think  that  Bart,  like  the 
others,  had  also  lost  his  senses ;  but  they  did  as 
he  said  —  Tom  and  Phil  holding  the  boat  to  the 
side  of  the  Antelope,  and  watching,  while  Bruce 
and  Arthur  followed  Bart. 

Bart  first  rushed  to  Pat. 

II  "We're  not  going  to  stand  this.  You're  ruin- 
ing us  all.  If  you  don't  go  aboard  the  boat,  we'll 
throw  you  overboard,  and  you'll  be  glad  to  do  it 
then.  Bruce  and  Arthur,  catch  hold,  and  pitch  Pat 
overboard  if  he  don't  go  to  the  boat." 

Speaking  these  words  with  breathless  rapidity, 
Bart  cut  the  rope  with  which  Pat  had  bound  him- 
self, giving  long  slashes  up  and  down.  Bruce  and 
Arthur  seized  him  at  the  same  moment,  and  as  soon 
as  the  rope  was  severed,  dragged  him  to  where  the 
boat  was,  ordering  him  on  board,  and  threatening 
to  throw  him  into  the  water  if  he  refused.  Pat 
was  powerless.  A  few  words  of  remonstrance 
were  offered,  but  he  was  sternly  silenced.  He  was 
thus  overpowered,  and  so,  yielding  to  necessity,  he 


MY   name's  wade. 


273 


■ag  them  off. 
nd  Phil,  you 

rd  the  Ante- 
.Bruce  and 

knife,  thus 

tonished  the 

5art,  like  the 

they  did  as 

boat  to  the 

while  Bruce 


You're  ruin- 

le  boat,  we'll 

lad  to  do  it 

ind  pitch  Pat 

ess  rapidity, 
bound  him- 
Bruce  and 
and  as  soon 

to  where  the 
threatening 
fused.     Pat 

emdnstrance 

ed.  He  was 
ecessity,  he 


got  on  board  the  boat.  There  ho  seated  himself 
in  the  stern,  and,  bowing-  his  head,  begun  a  long, 
low,  wailing  Irish  '*  keen,"  which  is  a  species  of 
lamentation  in  the  presence  of  death. 

This  scene  appeared  to  produce  some  ofToct  upon 
Wade.  It  roused  him  from  his  .cthargy.  It 
seemed  as  though  this  man  was  a  mere  machine  | 
and  though  in  ordinary  circumstan  cs  he  was  able 
of  going  through  certain  routine  duties,  in  any  ex- 
traordinary case  he  was  utterly  helpless,  and  his 
dull  and  inert  nature  became  hopelessly  imbecile. 
But  now  an  idea  of  his  situation  seemed  at  last  to 
have  penetrated  to  his  brain,  and  accordingly, 
rising  to  his  feet,  he  went  to  the  boat.  Then  he 
slowly  and  solemnly  passed  over  the  Antelope's 
side,  and  took  his  seat  near  Pat.  He  looked  at  the 
others  with  a  dull  stare,  and  then  turning  to  Pat, 
he  remarked,  n  a  low,  confidential  tone, 

"  My  name's  Wade,  an  my  ole  'oman's  name's 
Gipson ;  an  you'll  not  find  many  o'  that  name  in 
this  country.     No,  sir." 

After  which  he  heaved  a  sigh,  and  relapsed  into 
himself.  As  to  Pat,  he  took  no  notice  of  this  con- 
fidence imparted  to  him,  but  went  on  w^ith  his  Irish 
lamentation. 

"  Ow  —  0-0-K3-0-0W  —  to  only  think — this  bit  ov 
a  boat  sure  —  an  in  the  wide  an  impty  say  —  an 
me  a  bindin  meself  to  the  only  safety ;  for  the  ship- 
wracked  sayman  must  always  bind  himsilf  to  a 
mast.     And,  0-o-o-o-o-o-o-w,  but  it  was  a  bitter,  crool 

18 


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274 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


Eli  J 


i'  ^1  il!l! 


ii'i-pi'ii  :;•! 


things  80  it  was,  to  tear  a  poor  boy  from  his  soli- 
tary  rifuge  —  an  dhrive  him  here  into  a  bit  ov  a 
boat  —  to  sail  over  the  impty  say  —  an  from  the  last 
rifuge — where  safety  was,  an  0-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ow  1  but 
it's  the  croolty  ov  it  that  braks  me  heart  I " 

The  summary  treatment  with  which  the  boys  had 
disposed  of  Pat,  was  not  to  be  applied  to  Solomon, 
or  to  Captain  Corbet.  They  tried  to  coax  these, 
and  persuade  them. 

Solomon,  however,  was  obdurate. 

"  My  Vice  to  you,  boys,  an  you,  in  tiklar,  mas'r 
Bart,"  said  he,  "  is  to  clar  out  ob  dis  yer  sinkin 
schooner,  ef  yer  don  want  to  git  a  duckin  ob  de 
wustest  sort.  She's  a  goin  down  —  you'd  betta 
believe : — dat's  so." 

"  0,  come,  come,  Solomon ;  we  can't  wait.  You're 
making  us  all  risk  our  lives,"  said  Bart,  implor- 
ingly, coaxing  him  as  he  would  coax  an  insane  man. 
"  Come  along ;  don't  keep  us  here.  The  schooner'll 
sink  and  drag  the  boat  down,  if  we  don't  keep  far- 
ther away." 

"  Darsn't,"  said  Solomon.  "  Couldn't,  darsn't  — 
no  how." 

"  0,  come." 

"  Darsn't  —  fraid  ob  dat  ar  ole  woman,  wid  de 
broomstick,  de  tongs,  de  fence-pole,  an  de  red-hot 
gridiron.  Tell  you  wha*.,  it  stings  —  it  does,  dread- 
ful —  it  does  so  —  " 

"  O,  come.   She  shall  never  trouble  you.    Never." 

"  Who's  to  go  skewrity  fer  dat  ar  statement? 


THE  ANCIENT  MARINER   AT  HIS  POST. 


275 


3m  his  Boli- 
>  a  bit  ov  a 
rom  the  last 
•o-o-ow  I  but 
rtl" 

he  boys  had 
to  Solomon, 
coax  these, 


iklar,  mas'r 

yer  sinkin 

ickJD  ob  de 

you'd  betta 

'ait.  You're 

art,  implor- 

insane  man. 

schooner'll 

't  keep  far- 

i,  darsn't  — 


an,  wid  de 
de  red-hot 
loes,  dread- 

1.  Never." 
statement? 


Nobody  can  skewer  her.  No.  Better  be  drown- 
ded,  dan  walloped  to  def  with  hay-forks.  Nobody 
can  skewer  dat  ar  ole  woman,  dough;  gracious 
sakes,  she  knows  how  to  skewer  me  ebery  time 
she  lay  hand  on  a  pitchfork  or  a  meat-skewer. 
Yah,  yah,  yah  I " 

At  this  ill-timed  levity  Bart  and  the  others  turned 
away  in  despair  and  disgust. 

Thev  hurried  aft. 

There  stood  the  venerable  Corbet.  As  they 
drew  near  he  gave  a  start,  and  a  smile  came  over 
his  reverend  countenance. 

"  Wal,  boys,"  said  he,  in  a  tone  of  kindly  wel- 
come, "  how  d'ye  do  ?    Pleased  to  see  you." 

He  spoke  precisely  as  if  he  was  receiving  a  call 
from  some  favorite  guests.  The  tone  pained  the 
boys,  and  distressed  them  greatly. 

"  Captain,"  said  Bruce,  hurriedly,  "  the  Ante- 
lope's sinking.  A  moment  more  and  you'll  be  lost. 
Come  with  us  in  the  boat.    Come." 

And,  laying  his  hand  on  the  captain's  arm,  he 
sought  to  drag  him  away. 

But  the  captain  quietly  though  firmly,  disen- 
gaged himself. 

"  Excuse  wc,  young  sir,"  said  the  venerable  nav- 
igator, very  politely ;  "  but  I'm  captain  of  th's  here 
craft ;  an,  being  sich,  I  ain't  got  no  call  to  leave 
her  till  the  last  man.  You  git  to  your  boat,  an  I'll 
retire  when  the  time  comes." 

The  captain  spoke  with  dignity.    He  announced 


276 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


III!! 


a  principle  which  involves  the  highest  duty  of 
every  commander  of  a  ship,  and  the  boys  knew  it. 
His  dignity  overawed  them. 

"But  come  now,  captain,V  said  Bart,  "there 
isn't  a  moment  to  lose." 

"  I  ain't  a  goin  ever  to  hev  it  written  on  my 
tume,"  said  the  captain,  in  a  calm  voice,  "  that 
me  —  Captain  Corbet  —  ever  desarted  his  post,  or 
forgot  his  umble  dooty  as  commander  of  a  vessel. 
No,  the  Antelope'U  see  that  her  captain's  jist  as 
much  principle  an  honor  as  any  of  them  swell  nav- 
igators that  sail  in  clipper  ships  over  the  boosom 
of  the  briny  deep." 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  long-drawn,  bub- 
bling, gurgling  sound,  that  came  up  from  the  hold  of 
the  Antelope,  and  startled  the  boys  exceedingly. 

"  Come,  come,  captain,"  cried  Bruce.  "  She's 
sinking  now.     There  isn't  a  moment  to  spare." 

"  Wal,  boys,  you  jist  hurry  off  into  that  thar 
boat,  an  don't  mind  me.  I  know  my  dooty.  You 
can't  expect  me  to  leave  this  here  deck  till  the  last 
man.     It  don't  signify  argufy  in.     Hurry  off*." 

At  this  moment  there  was  another  sound ;  some- 
thing between  a  gasp  and  a  gurgle.  It  seemed 
like  the  death-rattle  of  the  Antelope. 

"  She's  going  down,  boys  I "  cried  Bart. 

Involuntarily  they  retreated  towards  the  boat. 
But  here  they  paused  yet  again,  for  there  was  a 
brief  respite,  and  the  Antelope  was  yet  afloat. 

"  Won't  you  come,  captain  ?  "  cried  Bart. 


THE  BOYS   FLY. 


277 


est  duty  of 
oys  knew  it. 

3art,  "there 

itten  on  my 
voice,  "  that 
his  post,  or 
'  of  a  vessel. 
tain's  jist  as 
jm  swell  nav- 
•  the  boosom 

-drawn,  bub- 
m  the  hold  of 
^ceedingly. 
uce.     "  She's 
o  spare.'' 
to  that  thar 
dooty.    You 
k  till  the  last 
ry  off." 
ound;  some- 
It  seemed 

art. 

•ds  the  boat, 
there  was  a 
3t  afloat. 
Bart. 


"0,  all  right,"  said  Captain  Corb=jt,  waving  his 
hand ;  **  all  right.  You  jest  get  aboard  the  boat. 
Don't  you  mind  me.  Remember,  I'm  the  captain, 
an  I've  got  to  be  the  last  man." 

This  seemed  to  the  boys  like  a  promise  to  follow 
them. 

"  Come  along,  boys,"  said  Bart.  "  He'll  get  into 
the  boat  if  we  do.     He  wants  to  be  last." 

Saying  this,  the  three  boys  clambered  over  the 
Antelope's  side,  and  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  relief 
that  they  found  themselves  once  more  in  the  boat. 

"  Now,  captain,"  cried  Bruce,  "  hurry  up.  Come, 
Solomon.  Captain,  make  Solomon  come  on  board, 
and  then  you'll  be  the  last  man." 

Captain  Corbet  smiled',  and  made  no  reply.  As 
for  Solomon,  he  merely  muttered  something  about 
"dat  ar  ole  woman"  and  "  gridiron." 

The  Antelope  was  low  in  the  water.  The  deck 
was  near  the  level  of  the  sea.  Instinctively,  Tom, 
who  was  holding  the  rail,  pushed  away,  and  the 
boat  moved  off  a  little  distance.  Yet  they  could 
not  leave  those  two  infatuated  men  to  their  fate, 
though  the  instinct  of  self-preservation  made  them 
thus  move  away  Siightly. 

"  Captain  I  Solomon  !  Captain  I  Solomon  i  Make 
haste  I  0,  make  haste  I "  Such  were  the  cries 
that  now  came  from  those  in  the  boat. 

Captain  Corbet  smiled  as  before,  and  nodded, 
and  said, — 

"0,  it's  all  right;  all  right.  Don't  mind  me. 
Vm  all  right.    1  know  what  I'm  about." 


278 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


I 


At  this  the  Antelope  gave  a  very  unpleasant 
roll,  and  settled  heavily  on  one  side ;  then  her 
bows  sank  down,  and  a  big  wave  rolled  over  it. 

"  She's  sinking  I "  cried  Tom,  in  a  voice  of  hor- 
ror.  The  other  boys  were  silent.  They  seemed 
petrified. 

But  the  Antelope  struggled  up,  and  gradually 
righted  herself.  Her  deck  was  nearer  the  level 
of  the  sea  than  ever.  This  last  incident,  however, 
had  been  sufficient  to  shake  the  nerves  of  one  of 
those  two  on  board.  As  she  settled  on  one  side, 
Solomon  sprang  back,  and,  as  the  wave  rolled  over 
her  bows,  he  gave  one  jump  over  the  side  and  into 
the  sea.  He  sank  under,  but  a  moment  afterwards 
his  woolly  head  emerged,  and  he  struck  out  for  the 
boat.  There  a  dozen  arras  were  outstretched  to 
save  him,  and  he  was  finally  hauled  in.  -^ 

"  Dreflful  times  dese,"  said  he,  as  his  teeth  chat- 
tered, either  from  terror  or  from  cold.  "Drefful 
times.  Didn't  ^gage  in  dis  yer  vessel  to  go  swim- 
min  about  de  Atlantic  Oceum.  Queer  way  to  serve 
as  cook  —  dis  yer  way.  An  dar  ain't  a  dry  stitch 
ob  clothin  about  —  dat's  so ;  an  what  ebber  I'se  a 
goin  to  do  beats  me.  S'pose  I'se  got  to  .^et  here 
an  shibber  de  next  tree  weeks.  Catch  me  ebber 
a  'barkin  aboard  sich  a  schooner  as  dis  yer.  Any 
ways,  I  ain't  goin  to  sail  in  dis  yer  Antelope  agin. 
Cotch  me  at  it  —  dat's  all." 

But  the  boys  heard  nothing  of  this.  • 

All  their  attention  was  now  taken  up  with  Cap- 
tain Corbet. 


3. 

Y  unpleasant 
e ;  then   her 
d  over  it. 
voice  of  hor- 
They  seemed 

nd  gradually 
per  the  level 
3nt,  however, 
^-es  of  one  of 
on  one  side, 
^e  rolled  over 
side  and  into 
Dt  afterwards 
3k  out  for  the 
tstretched  to 
I.  ^ 

lis  teeth  chat- 
Id.  "  Drefful 
j1  to  go  swim- 
'  way  to  serve 
t  a  dry  stitch 
;  ebber  Pse  a 
t  to  3et  here 
ch  me  ebber 
is  yer.  Any 
ntelope  agin. 


up  with  Cap 


C0RBET^8  DEATH  SONG. 


279 


\ 


He  stood  at  the  stem  at  his  usual  post,  holding 
the  tiller  with  both  hands.     He  looked  at  the  boys. 

"  Boys,"  said  he,  "  I'm  the  last  aboard." 

"  0,  Captain  Corbet  I  Come,  come.  Make  haste  1 " 
they  cried. 

He  shook  his  venerable  head. 

"  This  here,"  said  he,  "  boys,  air  the  act  an  the 
doin  of  Fate.  I  did  hope  that  the  Antelope  an 
me'd  grow  old,  an  finally  die  together,  though  not 
on  the  briny  deep.  It  hev  alius  ben  a  favorite  idee 
to  me,  that  the  lives  of  both  of  us,  me  and  the 
Antelope,  was  kine  o'  intermingled,  an  that  as  we'd 
ben  lovely  an  pleasant  in  our  lives,  in  death  we'd 
be  not  divided.  For  the  Antelope  an  me's  knowed 
each  other  long,  an  lived,  an  ben  happy  together, 
in  fair  weather  an  foul.  The  Antelope's  alius  ben 
faithful  and  terew.  She's  had  all  my  confidences. 
She's  alius  been  gentle  an  kind,  and  you'll  never, 
never  find  a  better  friend  than  the  old  Antelope. 
Many's  the  time  she's  bore  me  through  sleet  an 
snow.  Many's  the  time  she's  borne  me  through 
fog  an  rain.  Many's  the  time  she's  bore  me  past 
rocks  an  reefs.  So  long  as  I  stuck  to  old  Fundy, 
so  long  the  Antelope  was  safe  an  sound.  I  used 
to  boast  as  to  how  I  could  navigate  old  Fundy.  I 
was  wrong.  'Twan't  me ;  it  was  the  Antelope  that 
navigated ;  for  I  never  had  a  sexton  aboard,  nor  a 
quadruped,  nor  a  spy-glass,  nor  any  of  them  new- 
fangled gimcracks,  savin  an  except  a  real  old-fash- 
ioned, apostolic  compass,  as  is  mentioned  by  Paul 


280 


THE   TREASURE  OP   THE  SKAS. 


in  the  Acts.  And  why?  Why,  cos  the  Antelope 
was  alius  able  to  feel  her  own  way  through  rain  an 
fog,  an  frost  an  snow  —  past  shoais,  an  flats,  an 
reefs,  an  was  alius  faithful.  But,  in  a  evil  hour,  I 
took  her  out  of  her  native  waters.  I  led  her  afar 
over  the  deep  blue  sea,  up  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence. There  our  woes  began.  But  even  there 
the  Antelope  was  terew  an  tender.  But  it  was  too 
much.  We  come  back.  She  had  never  ben  thar 
before.  She  lost  her  way.  Then  she  found  it. 
We  got  to  Sable  Island  an  Chester.  Then  we  put 
out  agin.  An  then  agin  she  lost  her  way.  It  was 
my  fault,  not  hern.  She  lost  her  way  in  this  fog, 
an  she  went  aground.  She  couldn't  help  it.  In 
Fundy  she  never  ran  aground,  ^cept  when  nessary ; 
an  it  was  me  that  brouglit  her  to  this.  An  now 
what  hev  I  got  to  do  ?  I've  got  this  to  do  —  that 
if  I've  led  my  Antelope  to  ruin,  I  won't  survive 
her.  No.  We've  been  lovely  an  pleasant  in  our 
lives,  an  in  death  we  ain't  goin  to  be  divided." 

The  boys  did  not  hear  one  half  of  this,  but 
interrupted  the  speaker  constantly  with  their  en- 
treaties that  he  would  save  himself.  Captain  Cor- 
bet, however,  was  too  much  taken  up  with  his  own 
thoughts  to  notice  what  they  said.  He  was  like 
one  who  soliloquizes. 

**  0,  captain  I  "  cried  Bart,  with  a  final  effort ; 
"  think  of  your  wife  —  think  of  your,  your,  a  — 
baby  —  "  * 

"  My  babby  1 "  said  Captain  Corbet.  "  My  babby  1 


^w 


A  RHAPSODY  ON  THE  ANTELOPE. 


281 


e  Antelope 
igh  rain  an 
m  flats,  an 
jvil  hour,  I 
d  her  afar 
of  St.  Law- 
even  there 
t  it  was  too 
iY  ben  thar 
found  it. 
hen  we  put 
ly.  It  was 
n  this  fog, 
lelp  it.  In 
3n  nessary ; 
;.  An  now 
0  do  —  that 
n't  survive 
sant  in  our 
vided." 
f  this,  but 
;h  their  en- 
^aptain  Cor- 
rith  his  own 
le  was  like 

inal  effort; 
your,  a  — 

'  My  babby  I 


Ah,  young  sir,  when  you  mention  my  babby,  you 
don't  know  that  you  tetch  a  cord  in  this  parentual 
heart  that  throbs  responsive.  That  thar  is  the 
strongest  emotion  that  inspires  this  aged  breast ; 
but,  young  sir,  dooty  air  powerfuller  than  love,  an 
even  that  pe-recious  infant  has  less  claims  on  me  at 
this  moment  than  my  Antelope.  For  my  Antelope 
has  ben  the  friend  that's  ben  faithful  in  thousand 
perls ;  that's  ben  my  refuge  an  my  solace  in  times  of 
persecution.  Yes,  young  sirs,  in  the  days  when  a 
bold  an  violent  woman  disturbed  my  peace,  by  dash- 
in  a  pail  full  of  cold  water  over  my  head  —  at  such 
times  the  Antelope  hav  took  me  to  her  heart ;  an 
can  I  ever  cease  to  be  affectionate  an  kind  to  thee, 
who's  ben  so  terewly  kind  to  me  —  my  Antelope  ? 
No,  no ;  young  sirs.  Go,  an  tell  my  beloved  one  — 
my  offspring  —  my  inspired  babby  —  that  his  par- 
ent, the  aged  Corbet,  died  a  marchure's  death  ; 
died  like  a  hero,  a  standin'  at  his  post ;  which  post 
was  the  rudder-post  of  the  Antelope.  Tell  him 
that ;  an  tell  him,  tew,  that,  though  dooty  bound 
the  feyther  to  the  Antelope,  yet  still  that  feyther'a 
last  thoughts  was  of  his  belessed  babe." 

At  this  point  the  Antelope  gave  another  lurch, 
and  rolled  far  oyer.  Captain  Corbet  stopped  ab- 
ruptly, and  stiffened  his  sinews,  and  clutched  the 
tiller  with  a  tighter  grasp.  The  boys  looked  on 
with  horror  in  their  faces  and  in  thgir  hearts. 

It  was  a  moment  of  awful  expectation. 

They  had  cried,  and  bawled,  and  yelled  till  they 


\ 


rH^i 


:]  M'll 


282 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SZ48. 


were  hoarse.  They  had  prayed  and  entreated 
Captain  Corbet  to  save  himself.     All  in  vain. 

But  now  the  time  for  entreaty  had  passed. 

Suddenly  the  Antelope  rolled  back,  and  then  her 
bows  sank.  A  huge  wave  rolled  over  her,  followed 
by  others,  which  foamed  from  bow  to  stem.  Then 
all  the  sea  settled  itself  over  the  sinking  schooner. 

The  Antelope  was  going  down  I 

The  hull  disappeared  I 

The  rail  sank  under  water  I 

But  Captain  Corbet  stood  at  his  post,  erect, 
rigid,  his  hands  clasping  the  tiller.  Beneath  him 
the  Antelope  sank  down  into  the  sea.  Around 
him  the  waters  rolled. 

They  rolled  about  his  knees;  about  his  thighs; 
about  his  waist.  His  venerable  hair  fluttered  in 
the  breeze ;  his  eyes  were  fixed,  with  a  rapt  and 
abstracted  air,  on  vacancy. 

The  boys  looked  on  in  horror.  Instinctively 
they  pushed  the  boat  back  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
waters  that  ingulfed  the  Antelope,  so  as  to  avoid 
being  carried  down  into  that  vortex. 

The  waters  rolled  about  the  form  of  the  aged 
navigator,  and  so  he  descended  with  his  beloved 
Antelope,  till  they  were  above  his  waist. 

The  boys  could  no  longer  cry  to  him.  They 
were  petrified  with  horror.  They  sat,  with  whit« 
faces,  awaiting  the  end. 


PALLID   FACES. 


283 


id  entreated 
n  vain, 
passed, 
and  then  her 
her,  followed 
stem.  Then 
ing  schooner. 


post,  erect, 
Beneath  him 
}ea.    Around 

t  his  thighs; 
•  fluttered  in 
h  a  rapt  and 

Instinctively 

reach  of  the 

)  as  to  avoid 

of  the  aged 
his  beloved 

St. 

him.    They 
>  with  white 


«  XXIII. 

Watching  with  pallid  Faces,  —  The  Torso  of  Corbet. 
— A  sudden  and  unaccountable  Break  in  the  Pro- 
ceedings, —  Oreat  Beadion,  —  Unpleasant  Dis- 
covert/.  —  Pat  and  the  saU  Water,  —  The  Bheu- 
matiz  and  kindred  Diseases.  —  Where  to  go,  — 
Where  are  we?  —  Sahk  Island,  —  Antioostiy  Ber- 
muda^ Jamaica^  Newfoundland^  Cape  Cody  or 
Owld  Ireland,  —  A  land  Breeze,  —  Sounding  for 
the  Land,  —  Land  ahead. 


M 


PAINFUL  thing  it  was  to  see  the  Antelope 
thus  sinking  into  the  sea ;  to  view  the  waters 
thus  rolling  over  her  familiar  form  from 
bows  to  stern ;  to  see  the  boiling  foam  of  the  in- 
gulfing billows ;  but  how  much  more  terrible  it 
was  to  see  the  sacrifice  of  a  human  life ;  the  volun- 
tary self-destruction  of  a  human  being,  and  of  one, 
too,  who  had  been  their  guide,  their  revered  and 
beloved  friend!  They  had  no  cause  for  self-re- 
proach. They  had  done  all  that  they  could.  His 
own  will  had  brought  him  to  this.  Still  the  specta- 
cle was  no  less  terrible  to  all  of  them,  and  there 
was  no  less  anguish  in  their  souls  as  they  saw  him, 


I 


\i     s 


/J  J 


'Mill/i  :il 


284 


THE   TUEASURE   OF   THE  SEAS. 


—  the  meek,  the  j^entle,  the  venerable  Corbet,  — 
thus  descending,  by  his  own  free  will,  and  by  bis 
own  act,  into  the  dark  abyss  of  this  unknown  sea. 

And  so  they  watched  with  pallid  faces,  and  with 
angonized  hearts  for  the  end. 

The  ancient  mariner  sank  down,  as  has  been 
said,  with  his  sinking  schooner,  and  his  feet  were 
overwhelmed  by  the  rushing  flood,  and  his  ankles, 
and  his  knees,  and  his  thighs,  and  at  length  ho 
stood  there  with  the  waters  about  his  waist,  and 
his  mild  eyes  fixed  upon  vacancy. 

Another  moment,  and  they  expected  to  seo 
that  venerable  and  beloved  form  disappear  forever 
from  their  gaze. 

But  that  venerable  form  did  not,  in  fact,  disap- 
pear. 

That  venerable  form  remained  stationary,  —  the 
waters  reaching  as  far  as  the  waist :  thus  far,  but  no 
farther.  The  lower  half  had  disappeared  beneath 
the  sea,  but  the  upper  half  still  remained  to  bless 
and  cheer  their  eyes.  Corbet  still  lived  I  But  it 
was  what  an  artist  might  call  a  Torso  of  Corbet. 

Corbet  thus  had  sunk  into  the  unfathomable 
depth  of  ocean  up  to  his  waist,  but  after  that  lie 
sank  no  more.  Higher  than  that  the  waters  did 
not  rise.  He  stood  in  that  rigid  attitude  already 
described,  grasping  the  tiller,  and  thus  steadying 
himself,  —  upright,  firm  as  a  rock,  and  so  he  stood 
after  the  waters  had  risen  to  his  waist. 

The  hull  of  the  Antelope  had  disappeared.     But 


0  Corbet,— 
,  and  by  his 
known  sea. 
es,  and  with 

18  has  been 
s  feet  were 

1  his  ankles, 
-t  length  Iio 
8  waist,  and 

ted  to  see 
Dear  forever 

fact,  disap- 

)nary,  —  the 
IS  far,  but  no 
red  beneath 
jed  to  bless 
ed  I  But  it 
)f  Corbet, 
nfathomable 
fter  that  lie 
waters  did 
ude  already 
s  steadying 
so  he  stood 

eared.     But 


^■jm"^:' 


A   BREAK  IN  THE  PROCEEDINGS. 


285 


still  her  masts  and  rigging  rose  above  the  waters, 
and  above  the  head  of  Corbet,  and  these  sank  no 
farther,  but  remained  at  the  sam-e  height  above  the 
sea. 

Astonishment  seized  upon  all  of  them,  Corbet 
included.  What  was  it  that  had  caused  this  won- 
der? Was  it  because  the  hull  was  too  buoyant  to 
sink  any  farther  ?  Was  it  because  there  was  still 
some  air  left  inside  the  hull  which  prevented  the 
schooner  from  sinking  altogether?  This  they 
might  have  thought  had  they  not  been  made  wiser 
through  their  recent  experiences.  By  these  they 
now  knew  that  on  these  seas  there  were  sand 
banks  and  shoals ;  and,  therefore,  what  was  more 
natural  than  that,  the  Antelope  had  sunk  in  some 
place  where  there  happened  to  be,  just  beneath 
her,  a  convenient  shoal  which  had  received  her 
sinking  hull?  It  was  certainly  a  very  curious  sea, 
—  a  sea  which  seemed  to  abound  in  such  shoals  as 
these ;  but  whatever  might  be  the  character  of 
that  sea,  this  fact  remained,  that  the  Antelope  had 
sunk  ir  less  than  a  couple  of  fathoms  of  water. 

And  so  it  was  that  the  heroic  and  devoted  re- 
solve of  the  venerable  and  high-minded  captain 
was  baffled,  and  his  descent  into  the  depths  of  the 
ocean  was  arrested.  For  there  lay  the  Antelope, 
resting  upon  some  place  not  far  beneath  the  sea, 
with  her  masts  still  high  above  water,  and  with  the 
person  of  her  gifted  commander  half  submerged 
and  half  exposed  to  view ;  and  there  stood  that 


]'■ 


Ir  'H 


' 


!  ii: 


I! 


I 


II  lllltl 


II 


i!; 


286 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


venerable  commander  up  to  his  waist  in  water,  but 
unable  to  descend  any  farther ;  a  singular,  a  won- 
derful, an  unparalleled  spectacle;  unaccountable 
altogether  to  those  whose  eyes  were  fastened 
upon  it. 

But  the  thought  of  a  shoal  or  sand  bank  soon 
came,  and  so  they  began  to  understand  the  state 
of  affairs.  The  Antelope  had  sunk,  not  into  an  un- 
fathomable abyss  in  mid-ocean,  but  upon  some  sand 
bank.  Where  or  what  that  sand-bank  might  be,  they 
did  not  then  take  time  to  consider.  Whether  it  was 
some  part  of  one  of  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland, 
or  the  slowly  declining  shore  around  Sable  Island, 
or  some  other  far  different  and  far  removed  place, 
did  not  at  that  time  enter  into  the  sphere  of  their 
calculations.  Enough  it  was  for  them  that  the  ter- 
ror had  passed ;  that  the  grim  spectacle  of  death 
and  destruction  before  their  very  eyes  had  been 
averted;  that  Corbet  was  saved. 

Till  this  moment  they  had  not  been  aware  of  the 
greatness  of  their  anguish.  But  now  the  reaction 
from  that  anguish  made  them  acquainted  with  its  in- 
tensity, and  in  proportion  to  their  late  sufferings  was 
now  their  joy  and  rejoicing.  At  the  first  movement 
of  the  Antelope  towards  a  descent  into  the  sea, 
they  had  instinctively  and  very  naturally  moved 
their  boat  farther  away,  so  as  to  avoid  being  sharers 
of  the  fate  which  Captain  Corbet  seemed  to  desire ; 
but  now,  after  the  first  danger  was  over,  and  the 
first  emotions  of  amazement  and  wonder  had  sub- 


THE  JOY  OP  THE  BOYS. 


287 


in  water,  but 
jular,  a  won- 
laccountable 
re    fastened 

d  bank  soon 
id  the  state 
)t  into  an  un- 
>n  some  sand 
light  be,  they 
hether  it  was 
)wfoundland, 
Sable  Island, 
noved  place, 
lere  of  their 
that  the  ter- 
de  of  death 
es  had  been 

aware  of  the 
the  reaction 
}d  with  its  in- 
afferings  was 
st  movement 
into  the  sea, 
irally  moved 
)eing  sharers 
ed  to  desire; 
^ver,  and  the 
ler  had  sub- 


sided, they  rowed  nearer.  They  believed  that  now 
Captain  Corbet  would  listen  to  reason,  and  that, 
having  done  so  much  in  obedience  to  the  call  of 
duty,  he  would  be  willing  to  save  himself. 

And  now,  as  they  rowed  nearer,  the  boat  floated 
over  the  rail  of  the  sunken  schooner,  and  came 
close  up  to  the  half-submerged  commander. 

"  Come,  captain,"  said  Bart,  in  a  voice  that  was 
yet  tremulous  with  excitement, "  jump  in.  There's 
plenty  of  room.  You  —  you  —  don't  —  don't  want 
to  be  standing  in  the  water  this  way  any  longer, 
of  course." 

To  this  remark  Captain  Corbet  made  no  reply  in 
words,  but  he  did  make  a  reply  in  acts,  which  were 
far  more  eloquent.  He  seized  the  side  of  the  boat 
at  once,  and  scrambling  in,  sank  down,  wet  and 
shivering,  in  the  stern,  alongside  of  those  other  ob- 
stinate and  contumacious  ones  —  Pat,  Wade,  and 
Solomon.  And  so  it  was  that  at  last,  after  so  much 
trouble,  those  four,  who  had  at  first  been  so  un- 
manageable, now  were  assembled  on  board  the 
boat  into  which  they  had  once  refused  to  enter. 

The  delight  of  the  boys  was  as  great  as  their  grief 
had  been  a  short  time  before,  and  no  other  thought 
came  into  their  minds  than  that  of  the  happy  end 
that  had  occurred  to  a  scene  that  had  promised 
such  disaster.  The  fact  that  their  situation  was 
one  of  doubt  and  uncertainty,  perhaps  peril,  did 
not  just  then  occur  to  them.  It  was  enough  joy 
for  them  that  Captain  Corbet  had  been  snatched 


f; 


288 


THE  TREASURE   OF  THE  8EAS. 


fVQTP  «  x^Qf^ry  ^ravp  ;  and  so  they  now  surrounded 
Him  with  careful  attention.  Bruce  offered  him  a 
biscuit ;  Bart  asked  about  his  health  ;  Tom  urged 
him  to  wring  out  the  water  from  his  trousers; 
and  Phil,  who  was  next  to  him  in  the  boat,  fearing 
that  he  might  feel  faint,  pressed  upon  him  a  tin 
dipper  full  of  water. 

Captain  Corbet  took  the  proffered  draught  and 
raised  it  to  his  lips.  A  few  swallows,  however, 
satisfied  him,  and  he  put  it  down  with  some  ap- 
pearance of  haste. 

"  As  a  gen'ral  thing,"  said  he,  in  a  tone  of  mild 
remonstrance,  "  I  don't  use  sea  water  for  a  bever- 
age. I  kin  take  it,  but  don't  hanker  arter  it,  as 
the  man  said  when  he  ate  the  raw  crow  on  a  bet." 

"  Sea  water  I  "  exclaimed  Phil.     "  Did  I  ?  " 

He  raised  the  water  to  his  own  lips,  and  found 
that  it  was  so. 

"  Then  we've  taken  sea  water  in  this  keg,"  he 
cried,  "  and  we  haven't  any  fresh." 

At  this  dreadful  intelligence  consternation  filled 
all  minds. 

"Who  filled  that  keg?"  asked  Bruce,  after  a 
long  silence. 

"  Sure  1  did,"  said  Pat. 

"  You  I  and  how  did  you  happen  to  make  such  a 
mistake  ?  "  cried  Bart. 

"  Sure  ye  said  to  iili  the  kegs  with  wather,  an 
didn't  say  what  kind ;  so  I  jist  tuk  the  say  wather, 
beoauae  it  was  most  convaynient." 


surrounded 
■ered  him  a 
rom  urged 
s  trousers; 
oat,  fearing 
L  him  a  tin 

raught  and 
8,  however, 
;h  some  ap- 

)ne  of  mild 
™or  a  bever- 
arter  it,  as 
on  a  bet." 
II?" 
,  and  found 

is  keg,"  he 

ation  filled 

ce,  after  a 

ake  such  a 

wather,  an 
jay  wather, 


CORBET   FEARS   THE   RHEUMATIZ. 


289 


At  this  amazing  blunder  the  boys  were  dumb, 
and  stared  at  Pat  in  silence.  Words  were  useless. 
The  mistake  was  a  fatal  one.  The  fresh  water  had 
gone  with  the  Antelope  to  the  bottom.  Where  or 
when  could  they  hope  to  get  any  more?  Who 
could  tell  how  long  a  time,  or  how  great  a  distance, 
might  now  separate  them  from  the  land?  Bad 
enough  their  situation  already  had  been,  but  this 
opened  up  before  them  the  prospect  cf  unknown 
sufferings. 

"  0,  don't  talk  to  me  about  water,"  said  Captain 
Corbet,  in  lugubrious  tones,  squeezing  his  hands,  as 
he  spoke,  over  his  thighs  and  shins,  so  as  to  force 
the  water  out  of  his  clothes.  "  Don't  you  go  and 
talk  to  me  about  water.  I've  bed  enough,  an  don't 
want  ever  to  see  any  agin.  Why,  it  kem  up  as 
high  as  my  waist  if  it  kem  a  inch.  An  now  what's 
to  bender  me  a  fallin  a  helpuless  victim  to  rheuma- 
tiz.  0, 1  know  it.  Don't  tell  me.  I  know  what's 
a  goin  to  come  to  this  ferrail  body.  Thar's  rheuma- 
tiz  acute  and  chronic,  an  thar's  pleurisy,  an  thar's 
lumbago,  an  thar's  nooralgy,  an  thar's  fifty  other 
diseases  equally  agonizin.  An  dear,  dear,  dear, 
dear!  But  how  dreadful  wet  it  did  feel,  to  be 
sure  !  dear,  dear,  dear,  dear  I  An  here  am  I  now, 
with  my  tendency  to  rhQumatiz,  a  settin  here  in 
my  wet  clothes,  an  not  a  dry  stitch  to  be  had  for 
love  or  money.  Wal,  I  never  knowed  anythin  like 
this  here,  an  I've  lived  a  life  full  of  sturrange  vy- 
cissitudes  —  from  bad  to  wuss  has  ben  our  fate 
19 


>A*. 


290 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


ever  sence  we  sot  foot  on  this  here  eventfual 
vyge ;  an  ef  thar's  any  lesson  to  be  lamed  from 
sech  doins  an  car'ns  on  as  this  here,  why,  I  ain't 
able  to  see  it.  An  now  what  api  I  to  do  ?  What's 
a  goin  to  become  of  me  ?  No  dry  clothes  I  No  fire 
to  dry  myself  I  Rheumatiz  before  me  I  lumbago 
behind  me  I  pleurisy  on  each  side  o'  me  !  such  is 
the  te-rific  prospect  of  the  blighted  bein  that  now 
addresses  you." 

The  boys  paid  but  little  attention  to  Captain 
Corbet's  wailings.  They  had  other  troubles  more 
serious  than  these  prospective  ones.  They  could 
not  help,  however,  being  struck  by  the  thought 
that  it  was  a  little  odd  for  a  man  who  had  just  been 
snatched  so  narrowly  from  a  terrible  death  to  con- 
fine all  his  attention  and  all  his  lamentations  to  such 
a  very  ordinary  circumstance  as  wet  clothes.  Ho 
who  had  announced  so  firmly,  a  short  time  before, 
his  calm  and  fixed  intention  of  perishing  with  the 
Antelope,  now  seemed  to  have  forgotten  all  about 
her,  and  thought  only  of  himself  and  his  rheumatiz. 
Could  this  be,  indeed,  Captain  Corbet?  Strange 
was  the  change  that  had  come  over  him ;  yet  this 
was  not  the  only  singular  change  that  had  occurred 
on  this  eventful  day.  They  had  witnessed  others 
quite  as  wonderful  in  Solomon  and  Pat.  These 
two,  however,  had  now  resumed  their  usual  char- 

» 

acteristics. 

There  they  were,  in  a  boat,  all  of  them,  but 
where?    That  was  the  question.     The  masts  of 


WHERE   TO   GO. 


291 


9  eventfual 
arned  from 
why,  I  ain't 

0  ?  What's 
es  I  No  fire 
3  I  lumbago 
36  !  such  is 
n  that  now 

to  Captain 
ubles  more 
They  could 
be  thought 
d  just  been 
ath  to  con- 
ions  to  such 
othes.  Ho 
me  before, 
g  with  the 

1  all  about 
rheumatiz. 
?  Strange 
Q  J  yet  this 
d  occurred 
sed  others 
at.  These 
usual  char- 

them,  but 
I  masts  of 


the  sunken  Antelope  rose  obliquely  out  of  the 
water,  showing  that  she  was  resting  on  her  side  at 
the  bottom.  But  what  was  that  bottom,  and 
where?  Was  it  some  lonely  rook  or  reef?  Was 
it  some  sand-bank  or  shoal  like  that  upon  which 
they  had  already  gone  aground,  and  where  the 
Antelope  had  received  those  injuries  which  had 
at  length  wrought  her  ruin?  None  of  them  could 
answer  this. 

And  where  should  they  go  ?  In  what  direction 
should  they  turn  ?  This  was  the  question  that 
pxessed  upon  them,  and  lequired  immediate  de- 
cision. 

"  It's  impossible  to  even  guess  where  we  are," 
said  Bart.  "  We've  been  going  in  the  dark  all 
along.  We  may  as  well  be  off  Sable  Island  as 
anywhere  else.  And  if  so,  all  I  can  say  is,  I've 
seen  worse  places." 

"  Sure  an  thin  it's  as  likely  to  be  Anticosti  as 
Sable  Island,"  said  Pat.  "  We've  ben  a  turrunia 
around  ivery  wa}^,  so  we  have,  an  we  may  have 
fetched  up  there,  so  we  may,  an  if  that's  so,  we 
may  as  well  dig  our  graves  an  lay  ourselves  down 
in  thim." 

"  Well,  if  you're  going  so  far  as  that,"  said  Bruce, 
"  I'd  put  in  a  claim  for  Bermuda.  I  don't  see  why 
we  mayn't  be  off  Bermuda  as  well  as  Anticosti. 
If  so,  we  may  be  sure  of  good  accommodations." 

"  Well,  while  you're  about  it,"  said  Arthur,  "why 
don^t  you  say  Jamaica  ?  " 


292 


THE   TREASURE   OF  THE  SEAS. 


*^  At  ail}'  rate,"  said  Bruce,  "  I  shouldn't  wonder 
if  it  should  turn  out  to  be  Newfoundland.  This 
sou'-west  wind  would  take  ua  there." 

"  Yes,  but  there's  been  a  calm,"  said  Arthur,  "  for 
some  time,  and  we've  got  into  some  current.  I 
dare  say  it's  taken  us  west,  and  that  this  is  cKiSe 
by  Cape  Cod." 

"  Pooh  I "  said  Phil.  "  If  we've  been  drifting 
with  any  current,  there's  only  one  current  here- 
abouts. That's  the  Gulf  Stream.  I  tell  you  what 
it  is,  boys ;  we've  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  this 
place  is  off  the  coast  of  Owld  Ireland  j  and  there  ye 
have  it." 

"  Arrah,  go  way  wid  yer  deludherin  talk,"  said 
Pat,     "  We  want  a  sinsible  opinion." 

**  The  more  I  think  of  it,"  said  Tom,  "  the  more 
I'm  inclined  to  be  of  Bart's  opinion.  We've  been 
tacking  and  drifting,  and  going  backward  and  for- 
ward, and  it  seems  to  me  most  likely  that  this  is 
Sable  Island.  If  so,  we  may  be  glad  that  we  came 
here  when  the  water  was  so  calm." 

"Wal,"  said  Captain  Corbet,  thoughtfully,  "I 
don't  b'lieve  that  this  here  air  Ireland,  nor  Iceland, 
nor  Africky,  nor  Jamaiky,  nor  any  other  sech. 
'Tain't  unpossible  for  it  to  bo  Sable  Island.  We 
drifted  there  oust,  an  may  heve  done  it  agin.  Far 
be  it  from  me  to  dispute  that  thar.  But  then  again 
it  might  be  Newfoundland.  'Pears  to  me  as  ef  we've 
got  off  some  land  whar  thar'**  woods,  for  I  got  jest 
now  a  kine  a  scent  o'  trees,  an  'peared  to  me  of 


SOUNDING  FOR  LAND. 


293 


Jn't  wonder 
ilaud.     This 

Arthur, "  for 
current.  I 
this  is  close 

Jen  drifting 
irrent  here- 
11  you  what 
ic,  and  this 
md  there  ye 

1  talk,"  said 

,  "  the  more 
WeVe  been 
ird  and  for- 
that  this  is 
lat  we  came 

jhtfully,  "I 
nor  Iceland, 
other  sech. 
[sland.  We 
;  agin.  Far 
t  then  again 
I  as  ef  we Ve 
ir  I  got  jest 
1  to  me  of 


spruce  an  sech.  I  shouldn't  be  s'prised  of  the  wind 
was  to  haul  round.  It  often  doos,  specially  when 
it's  ben  an  done  its  wust,  an  you  don't  care.  So 
now  we  don't  care  what  it  doos,  or  which  way  it 
blows ;  an  consekently  it's  goin  to  turn  an  blow 
away  the  -Jg." 

At  this  moment,  and  while  the  ancient  mariner 
was  yet  speaking,  there  came  a  breath  of  wind, 
very  gentle,  yet  quite  perceptible,  and  there  was 
in  it  an  unmistakable  odor  of  forest  trees  —  balmy, 
delicious,  most  fragrant,  bringing  with  it  hope,  and 
joy,  and  delight. 

"  The  land  must  be  close  by,"  cried  Bart.  "  Hur- 
rah!" 

"  Don't  hurrah  too  soon,"  said  Tom.  "  It  may  be 
Anticosti.'' 

"  Pooh  I  Anticosti  could  never  send  out  such  a 
smell  of  spruce  and  pine." 

"  Well,  it  may  be  Newfoundland,  and  that  won't 
help  us  much." 

"  The  wind's  going  to  change,"  said  Arthur.  "  I 
think  the  fog  isn't  so  thick  as  it  was." 

"  Come,  boys,  this  bottom  shoals  in  some  direc- 
tion. Let's  sound,  and  row  on  in  the  direction 
where  it  shoals.     That'll  bring  us  to  the  shore." 

This  suggestion,  which  came  from  Bruce,  was  at 
once  acted  on.  Bart  and  Tom  took  the  oars. 
Bruce  took  a  hatchet  which  had  been  flung  into 
the  boat,  and  tying  a  line  to  it,  used  this  as  a  sound- 
ing lead. 


294 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


"  Row  gently,"  said  he. 

The  boys  did  so,  following  Bruce's  direction, 
while,  holding  his  sounding-line,  he  tested  the  bot- 
tom.    After  a  little  while  he  had  satisfied  himself 

"  It  shoals  in  this  direction,"  said  he.  "  Row 
straight  on  a  dozen  strokes." 

They  did  so. 

Bruce  sounded  again. 

"  All  right,"  said  he.     "  Row  on." 

They  rowed  farther. 

Bruce  sounded  again.  The  bottom  was  much 
shallower. 

They  rowed  farther. 

But  now  no  sounding  was  any  longer  necessary, 
for  there,  straight  before  them,  looming  through  the 
now  lessening  fog,  they  all  descried  the  welcome 
sight  of  land. 


•  # 


). 


ROWING   ASHORE. 


296 


5's  direction, 
sted  the  bot- 
fied  himself, 
he.     "  Row 


a  was  much 


necessary, 
through  the 
;he  welcome 


XXIV. 

Bowing  ashore.  —  Nearer  they  come.  —  TJie  Fog 
dispell.  —  Strangely  familiar.  —  A  Man  ad- 
vances toioards  them.  —  Wild  Shouts  from  Bart 
and  Tom.  —  Wilder  Shouts  from  the  other  Boys. 
—  Con/used  Rejoicings.  —  A  hearty  Welcome.  — 
Explanations.  —  The  receding  Tide.  —  A  Visit 
to  the  Antelope.  —  Mournful  Remembrances. — 
The  Speech  of  Captain  Corbet. 


!T  the  sight  of  land  a  cry  of  joy  burst  forth 
from  all  in  the  boat,  and  Bart  and  Tom 
bent  to  their  oars  with  all  their  force.  As 
they  drew  nearer,  they  saw,  to  their  intense  de- 
light, that  this  strange  land  was  no  wilderness,  no 
desolate  shore,  but  an  inhabited  place,  with  culti- 
vated fields,  and  pasture  land,  and  groves.  One 
by  one,  new  features  in  the  landscape  revealed 
themselves.  There  was  a  long  beach,  with  a 
grand  sweep  that  curved  itself  away  on  either 
side,  till  it  joined  steep  or  precipitous  shores. 
Behind  this  were  fields,  all  green  with  verdure, 
and  a  scattered  settlement,  whose  white  houses,  of 


296 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


simple,  yet  neat  construction,  looked  most  inviting. 
\y  to  these  shipwrecked  wanderers.  At  one  end 
of  the  winding  beach  rose  the  fabric  of  a  large 
ship  in  process  of  construction. 

Nearer  they  came,  and  yet  nearer.  The  tide 
was  high  on  the  beach,  and  the  waters  almost 
touched  the  green  fields  that  fringed  the  shore 
with  alder  bushes.  Here  a  boat  was  drawn  up, 
and  beyond  this  stood  a  neat  farm-house.  On  a 
fence  nets  were  hanging,  showing  that  the  occu- 
pant of  this  house  united  the  two  callings  of  farmer 
and  fisher.  Beyond  the  settlement,  the  land  rose 
into  high  hills,  which  were  covered  with  forest 
trees,  and  from  these  had  been  wafted  that  aro- 
matic breeze  which  had  first  made  known  to  them 
the  neighborhood  of  land. 

All  this  time  the  breeze  had  been  slightly  in- 
creasing, and  the  fog  had  been  steadily  diminish- 
ing. Now  the  shores  appeared  in  fuller  outline. 
Looking  back  over  their  course,  they  could  e^e 
the  masts  of  the  Antelope,  where  they  projected 
above  the  water.  They  could  see  that  they  had 
drifted  into  a  bay,  and  the  Antelope  had  sunk  into 
its  shallowest  part. 

There  was  something  in  this  scene  which  ap- 
peared to  them  strangely  and  most  unaccountably 
familiar.  All  had  the  same  feeling,  yet  not  one 
of  them  expressed  it.  Each  imagined  that  it  was 
his  own  fancy ;  and  so  disturbed  had  their  minds 
been  for  the  past  few  Jays,  that  they  felt  unwilling 


9. 


A  MAN   ADVANCES  TOWARDS   THEM. 


297 


aost  inviting. 

At  one  end 

ic  of  a  large 

'.  The  tide 
aters  almost 
d  the  shore 
i  drawn  up, 
ouse.  On  a 
lat  the  occu- 
gs  of  farmer 
le  land  rose 
with  forest 
'd  that  aro- 
)wn  to  them 

slightly  in- 
ly diminish- 
ller  outline, 
could  E^e 
y  projected 
it  they  had 
d  sunk  into 

which  ap- 
ccountably 
3t  i^ot  one 
that  it  was 
heir  minds 
;  unwilling 


now  to  indulge  this  fancy.  Yet  every  moment  the 
fancy  grew  stronger,  and  brought  fresh  wonder 
with  it.  In  this  way  they  rowed  along,  and  every 
moment  brought  the  boat  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
shore. 

At  length  they  saw  a  man  come  forth  from  the 
house  before  them,  and  advance  towards  the  beach. 
His  face  was  turned  towards  them ;  he  was  staring 
at  them  most  intently.  As  the  boat  advanced,  he 
advanced  ;  and  thus  the  two  parties  approached. 
Every  moment  revealed  more  and  more  of  the 
opposite  party  to  each. 

Bart  and  Tom  were  rowing,  and  thus  had  their 
backs  turned  to  the  shore  and  their  faces  towards 
the  sea  outside.  Here  the  fog  was  fast  dispelling ; 
and  as  it  fled,  there  opened  up  mile  after  mile  of 
the  coast,  and  the  sea  horizon.  There,  on  that  ho- 
rizon, there  came  forth  out  of  the  fog  to  their 
eyes  a  solitary  object,  that  appeared  to  float  upon 
the  sea.  It  revealed  itself  more  and  more ;  and 
first,  magnified  and  distorted  by  the  mist,  it  seemed 
like  a  lofty  table  land  of  cloud,  then  like  a  giant 
rock,  but  at  length  resolved  itself  into  a  wooded 
island  with  precipitous  sides.  There  it  lay  full 
before  them. 

As  it  thus  revealed  itself,  Tom  uttered  a  wild 
shout.     Bart  instantly  uttered  another. 

"  Boys  I  Boys  !  Look  I  Look  I  Hurrah  I  Hur- 
ra-SHi-a-ara-ah !     Hurra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ah  !  I  '■ 

But  at  that  very  instant  there  arose  a  wild  out- 


V 


wW<'   '' 


m  i 


m 


298 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


pi! 


fpjii'l 


cry  —  a  clamor  worse  than  theirs — from  all  the 
others  in  the  boat.  Solomon  gave  a  yell,  Captain 
Corbet  started  up,  and  C3ased  to  stroke  his  legs. 
Bruce,  Arthur,  Phil,  and  Pat,  with  one  wild  cry, 
started  erect  to  their  feet,  regardless  of  the  sway* 
ing  and  rocking  of  the  boat.  And  "  Hurrah !  " 
they  cried.  "  Hurra-a-a-a-a-a-a-ah  I  !  H;irra-a-a-a- 
a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ah  I  ! !  " 

"  Scott's  Bay  I  He  Haute  ! "  cried  Tom  and 
Bart. 

"  Scott's  Bay  !  Benny  Grigg  !  "  cried  all  the 
others. 

"  Scott's-Grigg." 

*'  Benny-Haute." 

"He-Bay." 

"  Benny-Bay." 

"Ile-Grigg." 

"  Scott's  Haute." 

Such  was  the  medley  of  cries  that  arose  from 
all,  shouting  and  yelling  at  once.  While  all  the 
time  there  stood  on  the  shore  the  man  that  had 
come  down  to  meet  them ;  who  first  had  started 
and  stared  with  amazement,  —  and  who  then,  rec- 
ognizing them  all,  and  seeing  the  masts  of  the 
sunken  schooner  beyond,  understood  the  whole 
situation,  and  rejoiced  over  it  accordingly  —  show- 
ing his  joy,  indeed,  in  a  less  noisy  and  demonstra- 
tive manner  than  theirs,  but  in  a  way  which  was 
thoroughly  characteristic. 

For  Benny  suddenly  turned,  and  started  off  to 
the  house  on  a  full  run.     Then  he  disappeared. 


3. 


BENNY  GRIGO. 


299 


from  all  the 
yell,  Captain 
'oke  his  legs, 
one  wild  cry, 
of  the  sway> 
*'  Hurrah !  " 
H;irra-a-a-a- 

d   Tom    and 

ried  all  the 


arose  from 
^hile  all  the 
jan  that  had 
had  started 
tio  then,  rec- 
lasts  of  the 
I  the  whole 
g\y  —  show- 

demonstra- 
'  which  was 

arted  off  to 
)peared. 


The  boat  drew  nearer. 

Benny  appeared  once  more.  • 

The  boat  touched  the  beach. 

At  that  very  instant  Benny  touched  the  beach 
also,  and,  plunging  into  the  water,  began  shaking 
hands  with  every  one  of  them,  in  the  most  violent 
and  vehement  manner. 

•'  Come  along  !  Come  along  !  Come  right  up  1 
Come  along  I  Don't  mind  the  boat.  I'll  see  to 
that.  Come  along  to  the  house.  Slowed  if  I  ever 
see  the  likes  o'  this  in  all  my  born  days  !  Come 
along  I  " 

Such  was  the  welcome  of  Benny  Grigg. 

And  in  this  way  Benny  dragged  them  all  up  to 
his  house.  Here  he  gave  them  another  welcome, 
characterized  by  a  lavish  hospitality,  and  a  warm- 
hearted friendliness  that  was  truly  delightful  to  his 
guests ;  in  all  of  which  he  was  seconded  by  Mrs. 
Benny.  The  table  that  was  spread  before  them 
was  loaded  down  with  everything  that  the  house 
could  furnish,  and  the  shipwrecked  guests  ate  with 
an  appetite  such  as  is  only  known  to  those  who 
have  labored  hard  and  fasted  long. 

After  which  Benny  questioned  them  all  closely, 
and  made  them  tell  him  how  it  was  that  they  had 
come  here.  Great  was  his  astonishment,  but  great- 
er still  his  amusement.  Though  it  had  so  nearly 
been  a  tragedy,  to  hear  it  seemed  like  a  comedy. 
There  is  but  one  step  between  the  sublime  and  the 
ridiculous  —  the  terrible  and  the  grotesque  —  tra- 


300 


THE  TREASURE  OP   THE  SEAS. 


iiHiii 


gedy  and  comedy.  Benny  chose  to  regard  it  all 
from  the  lighter  point  of  view,  and  accordingly  he 
laughed  with  unrestrained  hilarity,  and  made  merry 
with  exceeding  mirth. 

But  after  the  story  was  all  told,  he  grew  more 
serious,  and,  producing  a  well-worn  chart,  he  ex- 
plained to  them  his  theory  as  to  their  wanderings. 
He  pointed  out  to  them  the  probable  place  where 
the  Antelope  had  struck,  described  the  character 
of  the  tides  and  currents,  and  showed  how  it  was 
that,  with  such  a  wind,  and  under  such  circum- 
stances, they,  very  naturally,  had  drifted  into  this 
particular  part  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  Benny's 
explanation  was  indeed  so  very  lucid,  and  so  sat- 
isfactory, that  they  all  expressed  their  regrets  at 
not  having  known  this  before,  in  which  case  they 
would  have  been  saved  from  much  anxiety. 

When  they  arrived  at  Scott's  Bay  it  was  high 
tide,  but  by  the  time  that  they  had  finished  their 
story  and  the  conversation  that  had  been  caused 
by  it,  the  tide  was  far  down  on  the  ebb.  On  going 
forth  they  could  see  that  the  deck  of  the  Antelope 
had  been  uncovered  by  the  retreating  waters.  In 
two  or  three  hours  more  the  tide  would  be  at  the 
lowest  ebb,  and  they  could  see  that  it  would  be 
possible  for  them  to  visit  the  sunken  schooner.  It 
lay  about  a  mile  away  from  the  beach,  between 
which  and  her  there  extended  long  mud  flats, 
which  could  easily  be  traversed  at  low  water. 

They  waited  till  the  tide  was  low,  and  then  they 
all  walked  down  to  her. 


3. 


A  VISIT  TO  THE   ANTELOPE. 


301 


regard  it  all 
icordingly  he 
I  made  merry 

B  grew  more 
chart,  he  ex- 
wanderings, 
place  where 
he  character 
i  how  it  was 
juch  circum- 
ted  into  this 
y,      Benny's 
1,  and  so  sat- 
r  regrets  at 
h  case  they 
xiety. 

it  was  high 
nished  their 
Deen  caused 
On  going 
he  Antelope 
waters.  In 
Id  be  at  the 
it  would  be 
chooner.  It 
ch,  between 
mud  flats, 
water, 
d  then  they 


There  she  lay  —  the  Antelope  —  the  vessel  that 
had  carried  them  so  far,  through  strange  seas, 
amid  so  many  dangers  and  perils  —  the  vessel  as- 
sociated with  so  many  memories.  They  climbed 
on  board.  They  saw  that  her  hold  was  still  full  of 
water;  for,  though  the  crevices  were  numerous, 
and  ;v^'c  e  enough  to  let  in  the  sea,  they  could  not 
let  it  out  with  suflScient  rapidity  to  keep  pace  with 
the  fall  of  the  tide.  Still,  the  water  streamed  out 
in  small  jets,  or  trickled  out,  drop  by  drop,  in  a 
hundred  places,  affording  them  a  very  impressive 
sight  of  the  true  condition  of  the  Antelope,  and  of 
the  danger  against  which  they  had  struggled  so 
long  and  so  laboriously. 

"  If  the  water'd  ony  get  out  of  her,"  said  Captain 
Corbet,  in  a  melancholy  voice,  "  she  might  float 
ashore." 

"  Yes,"  said  Benny,  *^  she  might  float,  perhaps, 
as  far  as  the  shore,  but  no  farther.  'Tain't  no  man- 
ner of  uthly  use  a  tryin  to  repair  that  thar  craft, 
cos  she's  ben  an  gone  an  got  done  for.  She's  wore 
out,  the  wustest  kind.  That  thar  vessel  ain't  wuth 
a  tryin  to  repair  her.  It'cj  u  mussy  she  held  out  so 
long,  an  didn't  go  to  pieces  al)  of  a  suddent,  some- 
whars  in  the  middle  of  the  sea." 

To  this  Captain  Corbet  made  no  reply.  He  felt 
keenly  the  truth  of  the  remark,  and  could  see  that 
the  Antelope  was  indeed  beyond  the  reach  of 
human  aid. 

The  boys  all  climbed  on  board  of  the  beloved, 


302 


THE  TREASURE   OP   THE   SEAS 


though  battered  old  craft,  to  take  a  last  look  and  a 
last  farewell.  It  was  with  uncoDcealed  sadness 
that  they  looked  around.  They  could  not  go  down 
into  the  cabin,  or  the  hold,  for  the  water  was  there ; 
yet  the  deck  was  enough  to  remind  them  of  that 
eventful  past  which  they  had  experienced  here. 
This  was  the  schooner  that  had  borne  them  on  their 
cruise  around  Minas  Bay ;  which  had  taken  them 
around  the  Bay  of  Fundy  when  Tom  was  lost; 
which  had  afterwards  taken  them  to  the  Bay  de 
Chaleur.  This  was  the  schooner  for  whose  appear- 
ance  they  had  so  watched  and  waited  on  board  the 
water-logged  Petrel,  and  which  had  lately  borne 
them  over  so  many  miles  of  watery  sea,  through 
so  many  leagues  of  fog.     And  this  was  the  end. 

Captain  Corbet  it  was  that  first  broke  the  solemn 
silence. 

"  It  air  gone,"  he  said  ;  "  the  derream  hev  bust ! 
The  berright  derream  of  fortin,  of  wealth,  an  of 
perosperity.  Gone,  tew,  air  the  ole  Antelope  — 
companion  of  my  toils,  my  feelins,  an  my  fame. 
Boys,  you  hev  ben  the  confidants  of  m}'-  feelins  to- 
Avards  this  here  Antelope,  an  knows  how  I  loved 
her,  yea,  even  as  the  apple  of  my  aged  eye  I  I 
stood  here,  not  long  sence,  by  yon  rudder,  fixed  firm 
ail  solemn ;  resolved  to  perish  with  her ;  ready  to 
sink  into  the  deep  blue  sea.  From  that  fate  I  was 
spared ;  yet  still  my  feelins  air  the  same  ;  the 
hearths  the  same  —  'twill  ne^er  grow  cold.  An 
now  I  feel  to  mourn.    I  feel  that  I  am  indeed  a 


IS 


SPEECH   OF   CORBET. 


303 


ist  look  and  a 
jaled  sadness 
1  not  go  down 
ter  was  there ; 
them  of  that 
rienced  here, 
them  on  their 
d  taken  them 
om  was  lost; 
0  the  Bay  de 
ivhose  appear- 
[  on  board  the 
lately  borne 
sea,  through 
as  the  end. 
ke  the  solemn 

lam  hev  bust ! 
wealth,  an  of 
>  Antelope  — 
an  my  fame, 
m}''  feelins  to- 
3  how  I  loved 
iged  eye  I  I 
der,  fixed  firm 
her ;  ready  to 
hat  fate  I  was 
16  same  ;  the 
)w  cold.  An 
am  indeed  a 


growin  old.  The  days  of  my  navigatin  air  brought 
to  an  end.  Henceforth  the  briny  deep  will  be 
traversed  by  the  aged  Corbet  no  more  forever. 
From  this  time  I  retire  from  the  heavin  biller,  an 
take  refooge  in  my  own  vine  an  fig  tree.  My  nav- 
igatin arter  this'll  be,  with  my  belessed  babby  in 
my  arms,  up  an  down  the  room.  The  only  storms 
that  await  me  now,  an  the  only  squalls,  air  to  be 
of  a  sterictly  domestic  characture.  Weak  human 
natur,  boys,  might  be  tempted  to  repine,  an  to  in- 
dulge in  vain  lamintations  over  this  here ;  but  the 
time  hev  passed.  I've  made  my  lamintation,  an 
that's  enough.  I'll  lament  no  more.  Peace  to  her 
ashes.  Let  her  lie,  an  may  no  rude  hand  go  a  dis- 
turbin  of  the  beloved  Antelope  in  her  last  restin- 
T)lace.  Let  her  lie  buried  here  beneath  the  ocean. 
Let  the  billowy  main  sound  her  requem,  an  chant 
her  foon'ral  dirge.  An  now,  farwell  1  an  may  you 
be  happy  !  Good  by,  Antelope  —  ole  friend  —  an 
receive,  as  your  last  legacy  an  benediction,  the 
belessin  of  the  mournful  Corbet  I " 

He  ceased.  Silence  followed,  and  in  that  silence 
they  all  retired  from  the  Antelope,  and  returned  to 
the  shore. 


304 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


XXV. 


Discussing  the  Situation,  —  By  Land  or  hy  Sea,  — 
Conferences  with  Bennie.  —  Tlie  Offer  of  Bennie. 
—  The  last  Meal  at  ScotVs  Bay,  —  The  Boat  is  on 
the  ShorCy  and  the  Bark  is  on  the  Sea.  —  Last 
Words  of  Solomon,  and  Farewell  Speech  of  the 
Ancient  Mariner.  , 


#' 


N  reaching  the  shore  they  found  it  necessary 
to  take  into  consideration  the  course  of 
action  that  was  now  most  advisable. 

"  We've  got  a  few  weeks  yet  of  vacation,  boys," 
said  Bart,  "  and  if  we  want  to  enjoy  ourselves, 
we'd  better  get  out  of  this  as  fast  as  possible." 

"  We  ought,  at  any  rate,  to  write  to  our  fathers 
and  mothers,"  said  Philj  "  I  don't  know  what  they'll 
think." 

"  Write  !  "  said  Bruce  ;  "  we'd  better  hurry  off 
home  our  own  selves,  uAd  not  send  letters.  For  my 
part,  I'm  ready  to  start  off  this  evening  for  Grand 
Pr6." 

"  Grand  Pr^  ?  But  why  Grand  Pr6  ?  "  asked  Arthur. 

"  0, 1  don't  know,"   said   Bruce  :  *^  what  other 


BY   LAND   OJl  BY   SEA. 


305 


way  is  there  to  go?  We'll  have  to  get  away 
from  this,  of  course ;  and  it  seems  most  natural  to 
cross  the  mountain  to  Grand  Pr6,  and  then  go  on 
by  stage.  Bart  could  leave  us  at  Windsor,  and 
take  the  steamer  for  St.  John." 

"Sure  an  tlie  stage  goes  the  other  way  alto- 
gether," said  Pat. 

^' How's  that?'* 

"  Why,  down  the  valley  to  Annapolis ;  an  the 
steamer  starts  from  that  to  St.  John,  so  it  does ; 
an'  it's  twice  as  near,  so  it  is." 

'' No,  it  isn't." 

"  Yes,  it  is.  St.  John  is  only  sixty  mile  from 
Annapolis,  and  it's  more'n  a  hundred  an  twinty 
from  Windsor." 

"But  Annapolis  is  seventy  or  eighty  miles  from 
this  place,  and  Windsor's  only  thirty." 

*'  At  any  rate,  it's  easier  goin  by  the  way  of 
AnnapolisJ." 

"  No,  it  isn't.'^ 

"  Yes,  it  is ;  you  go  down  the  valley,  so  you  do, 
an  the  other  way  you  have  to  go  up." 

••  Pooh  !  nonsense  I  The  Annapolis  valley  isn't  a 
liill.  The  fact  is,  from  here  to  St.  John  it's  easier 
to  go  by  the  way  of  Windsor." 

"  It's  further  thin." 

"  Yes,"  said  Phil,  "  it's  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
by  the  way  of  Windsor,  and  only  a  hundred  and 
forty-seven  by  the  way  of  Annapolis." 

"  For  my  part,"  said  Bart,  "  I  don't  fancy  either 
20 


306 


THE  TREASURE   OP  THE   SEAS. 


i¥\'! 


way.    What's  the  use  of  talking  about  a  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  when  yomieod  only  go  half  that  distance?" 

"  Half  that  distance  ?     How  ?  " 

"  Why,  across  the  bay.*' 

"  Across  the  bay  ?  0  !  Why,  that  completely 
alters  the  case,"  said  Bruce. 

"  Of  course." 

"  Sure,  but  how  can  we  go  on  fut  across  the 
bay  ?  or  by  stage  ?  "  objected  Pat. 

*'  There  don't  seem  to  be  any  schooner  here," 
said  Arthur,  looking  all  around. 

All  the  others  did  the  same,  searching  narrowly 
the  whole  line  of  coast.  Nothing,  however,  wa^ 
visible  of  the  nature  of  a  vessel.  Boats  there  were, 
however,  in  plenty,  quite  commodious  too,  but  noiio 
of  them  sufficiently  large  to  take  them  so  far  as  St. 
John. 

"  I'm  afraid,  Bart,  your  idea  of  getting  to  St. 
John  by  water  won't  do,"  said  Bruce.  "  You'd 
better  make  up  your  mind  to  come  along  with  us." 

"  0,  I'll  go,  of  course,  along  with  you  ;  we  must 
stick  together  as  long  as  we  can ;  but  we  must  set- 
tle, first  of  all,  which  is  the  best  way  to  go.  You'll 
find  it  piost  convenient  to  come  to  St.  John.  You 
can  go  from  there  up  the  bay,  and  then  go  over  to 
Prince  Edward  Island,  easier  than  by  SLUy  other 
route." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  but  that  we  can,  at  least  as 
easy  as  any  other  way,  and  so  I've  no  objection; 
but  won't  it  be  best  to  go  to  Windsor,  or,  if  you 
pr«for  it.  to  Annapolis?" 


TT 


13. 

a  hundred  and 
liat  distance?" 


at   completely 


'ut  across  the 

ihooner  here," 

hing  narrowly 
however,  was 
ats  there  were, 
s  too,  but  noiiG 
>m  so  far  as  St. 

getting  to  St. 
ruce.  "  You'd 
ilong  with  us." 
you ;  we  mu^t 
it  we  must  set- 
to  go.  You'll 
t.  John.  You 
len  go  over  to 
by  any  other 

can,  at  least  as 
no  objection; 
isor,  or,  if  you 


CONFERENCE   WITH   BENNIE. 


307 


"  \Yell,  let's  find  out,  first  of  all,  whether  there  is 
any  chance  of  going  by  a  more  direct  way.  Old 
Dennie  can  tell  us  all  about  it." 

*•  Yes,  yes,"  said  Tom,  who  had  thus  fixr  taken 
no  part  in  the  discussion,  ''  let's  ask  old  Bennie  ;  he 
can  tell  us  what's  best  to  do." 

With  those  words  the  boys  walked  on  faster 
towards  where  old  Bennie  ^vas  sauntering  about 
with  Captain  Corbet  and  Solomon.  At  the  first 
mention  of  their  wish  Bennie  energetically  refused 
to  say  anything  about  it. 

"  You've  got  to  stay  here,  boys  —  you've  got  to, 
you  know ;  an  thar's  no  use  talkin,  an  that's  all 
about  it  —  thar  now." 

This  the  good  Bennie  said  over  and  over  again, 
persisting  in  it  most  obstinately.  At  length  Bart 
managed  to  secure  his  attention  long  enough  to 
convey  to  him  an  idea  of  tho  circumstances  in 
which  they  were,  and  especially  the  regard  which 
they  had  for  their  respective  parents.  At  tho 
mention  of  this  Bonnie's  obstinacy  gave  away. 

"  Wal,  thar,"  boys,  said  he, "  that  thar  does  knock 
me,  an  I  give  up.  The  fact  is,  when  I  regard  you, 
and  think  on  what  you've  ben  a  doin  on,  an  how 
you've  ben  adoin  of  it,  an  what  sort  of  a  craft 
you've  ben  a  navigatin  in,  I  feel  as  though  the 
parients  an  guardins  of  sech  as  youns  had  ort  to 
be  pitied." 

In  fact,  Bennie's  commiseration  for  these  anx- 
ious parents  was  so  great  that  he  changed  his 


f 


303 


THE  TREASURE  OP  THE  SEAS. 


tactics  at  once,  and  instead  of  trying  to  keep  the 
boys  with  him,  he  exhibited  the  utmost  eagerness 
to  hasten  their  departure. 

"  You  can't  go  straight  off  to  St.  Jolin,  boys, 
from  this  place,  for  there  ain't  a  schooner  in  jest 
now ;  but  there's  a  way  of  goin  that'll  take  you 
to  that  place  faster,  mebbe,  than  you  could  go  if 
you  went  direct  in  a  sailin  craft.  It's  to  get  oil' 
to  the  nighest  place  where  the  steamer  touches." 

"What^s  that?" 

»'  Parrsboro'." 

"  Parrsboro'  ?  and  how  far  is  it  ?  " 

"  0,  only  a  few  miles ;  it's  only  jest  round  thar ; " 
and  Bennie  swung  his  arm  round  over  towards 
the  right,  indicating  a  vast  extent  of  the  earth's 
surface. 

"  0,  we  all  know  Parrsboro'  perfectly  well,"  said 
Bart ;  *'  but  when  can  we  catch  the  steamer 
there?" 

"  Why,  to-morrow,  some  time,  at  about  half  tide. 
The  steamer  comes  up  to-night,  and  goes  down  to- 
morrow. So,  if  you  go  to  Parrsboro'  an  take  the 
steamer  thar,  you'll  be  able  to  be  in  St.  Jc^lm 
quicker  than  if  you  went  any  other  way." 

This  intelligence  at  once  settled  the  question 
completely.  They  all  saw  that  to  go  by  land  part 
of  the  way  would  take  up  much  longer  time. 
Parrsboro'  was  so  near  that  it  needed  only  to  bo 
mentioned  for  them  all  to  adopt  at  once  this  plan. 
The  only  question  now  remnining  was  how  to  get 
there. 


3. 


THE   OFFER   OF   BENME. 


300 


to  keep  the 
ist  eagerness 

.  Jolni,  boys, 
ooner  in  jest 
it'll  take  you 
uould  go  if 
's  to  get  oir 
sr  touches." 


round  thar  j " 
ver  towards 
f  the  earth's 


ly  well,"  said 
the    steamer 

out  half  tide. 

oes  down  to- 

an  take  the 

in   St.    Jolm 

the  question 
by  land  part 
longer  time. 
d  only  to  bo 
c?e  this  plan, 
how  to  jret 


*'  Wal,  there  ain't  no  trouble  about  that,"  said 
Bonnie.  "  Thar's  my  boat — a  nice,  clean,  roomy 
one ;  and  I'll  engage  to  put  you  over  in  Parrsboro' 
quick  sticks.  'Tain't  big  enough,  quite,  to  take  you 
to  St.  John  ;  not  because  she  couldn't  go  there,  for 
I'd  a  precious  sight  sooner  cross  the  bay  —  yes, 
or  the  Atlantic  Ocean  —  in  her  than  in  that  old  An- 
telope; but  because  she  hain't  got  good  sleepin 
accommodations  in  case  we  was  to  be  delayed,  as 
would  be  very  probable.  She's  ony  an  open  boat 
—  a  beautiful  one  for  sailin  in  by  day,  an  in  fine 
weather,  but  not  overly  good  for  long  vyges  for 
reasons  above  mentioned,  as  you'll  observe,  young 
gentlemen." 

*'  And  can  we  get  over  there  to-day  ?  " 

*'  Wal,  let  me  see.  The  tide's  a  leetle  agin  us, 
but  bein  as  you're  anxious,  I  don't  know  but  what 
Ave  might  do  it.  There  ain't  much  wind  about,  an 
we  may  have  to  pull  a  bit;  but  we'll  do  what  wo 
can,  an  then,  you  know,  we've  got  all  night  afore 
us.  Even  at  the  wust  we're  sure  to  get  to  Parrs- 
boro'  before  the  steamer  does  ;  for  if  the  tide's  too 
much  for  us  we  can  wait  till  it  turns,  and  then  go 
up  with  the  flood.  An  so,  if  you're  bound  to  be 
off,  why,  here  am  I,  in  good  order  and  condition,  an 
at  your  service." 

Bennie  now  led  the  way  to  his  boat,  which  was 
drawn  up  on  the  beach.  It  was  an  open  fishing 
boat  of  large  size,  with  one  mast  and  sail.  It  was, 
as  Bennie  had  said,  quite  clean  and  comfortable, 


310 


THE  IREASURE  OF  THE   SEAS. 


m 


and  afforded  a  very  pleasant  mode  of  dropping 
over  to  tlie  Parrsboro'  .shore.  Having  once  seen  the 
boat,  the  boys  wore  now  all  eager  to  bo  olF.  Bennie, 
however,  insisted  on  their  taking  their  dinner  be- 
fore starting.  This  they  all  consented  to  do  very 
readily.  The  dinner  was  almost  ready,  and  Ben- 
nie prepared  for  the  vo^^age,  which  preparation 
consisted  chiefly  in  moving  the  boat  down  over 
the  beach  to  the  water,  which  was  some  distance 
away. 

Then  followed  the  dinner,  which  was  served  up 
in  the  usual  sumptuous  style  peculiar  to  Mrs. 
Bennie.  After  this  followed  a  kindly  farewell  to 
their  motherly  hostess,and  the  boys  followed  Bennie 
to  the  beach,  accompanied  by  the  venerable  Corbet 
and  the  aged  Solomon. 

It  had  been  no  slight  task  to  move  the  heavy 
boat  from  the  place  wliere  she  had  been  lying  all 
the  way  down  to  the  water,  fur  the  tide  was  quite 
low,  and  the  space  intervening  was  considerable ; 
but  Bennie  had  accomplished  the  task  with  the 
help  of  some  of  his  neighbors,  and  the  boat  now 
lay  so  that  a  slight  push  might  suffice  to  set  her 
afloat;  and  inside  were  some  provisions  prepared 
by  the  forethought  of  Mrs.  Bennie,  together  with 
some  wraps  put  there  with  an  eye  to  some  sudden 
assault  of  the  fog.  Everything  was,  therefore, 
very  well  ordered  to  secure  the  comfort  of  the 
travellers. 

On  the  way  to  the  boat  the  venerable  Corbet 


THE   LAST  WORDS   OF  SOLOMON. 


311 


of  dropping 
mcQ  seen  tho 
off.    Bennie, 
r  dinner  be- 
i  to  do  very 
dj,  and  Ben- 
preparation 
down  over 
ome  distance 

IS  served  up 
iar  to  Mrs. 
y  farewell  to 
owed  Bennie 
arable  Corbet 

^0  the  heavy 
een  lying  all 
o  was  quite 
onsiderable ; 
sk  with  tho 
le  boat  now 
J  to  set  her 
ns  prepared 
gether  with 
ome  sudden 
,   therefore, 
ifort  of  the 

ible  Corbet 


!ind  the  aged  Solomon  were  silent,  and  appeared 
overcome  with  emotion.  This  silence  was  first 
broken  by  Solomon. 

"  Tell  ye  what,  chilen,"  said  he ;  "  it  am  drefiul 
hard  for  a  'fectionate  ole  nigga  like  me  to  hab  to 
undergo  dis  yer  operatium.  Can't  stan  it,  no  how  ; 
an  donno  what  on  erf  Psc  a  gwine  to  do.  Kor  >  I 
ben  a  romin  ober  the  mighty  oceam,  feelin  like  de 
father  an  garden  ob  all  of  youns  ;  and  now  it  'mos 
stracts  dis  yer  olo  nigga  to  tar  his  sef  away. 
Blest  if  I  ain't  like  to  break  down  like  a  chicken; 
an  I  ain't  got  nuffin  else  to  do.  Darsen't  go  on 
wid  you,  Mas'r  Bart — darsen't,  no  how.  Fraid  ob 
dat  ar  olo  woman  wid  de  gridiron.  De  aged 
Solomon  hab  got  to  become  a  pilgrin  an  awander 
•on  de  face  ob  de  erf.  But  I  ain't  gwine  to  wan- 
der yet  a  while ;  I  pose  to  make  a  bee-lino  for  de 
Cad'my.  I  hab  a  hope  dut  de  ole  'oman  hab  not 
got  dar;  an  if-  so  I  bo  safe,  an  tany  rate  de  doc- 
tor'll  take  her  in  hand  —  he's  de  boy  —  aat  itr's  de 
identical  gemman  dat  kin  overhaul  her  an  teach 
her  her  *  p's'  an  ^  q's.'  But  what  you'll  do, 
chilen,  widout  me  to  cook,  and  to  carve,  an  to 
car  for  you,  am  more  dan  I  can  magine.  Ony  I 
truss  we'm  boun  to  meet  agin  afore  long,  an  jine 
in  de  social  band ;  an  so  you  won't  forgit  ole 
Solomon." 

The  boys  all  shook  him  warmly  by  the  hand,  ad- 
vising him  to  go  by  all  means  back  to  the  Academy, 
and  put  himself  at  once  under  the  protection  of 


312 


THE  TKEASURE   OF  THE   SEAS. 


the  doctor,  who  would  defend  him  from  all  pos- 
sible dangers  arising  out  of  his  "  ole  'oman." 

The  mate,  Wade,  also  received  their  farewells. 

Thus  far  the  venerable  Corbet  had  been  a  mute 
spectator ;  his  heart  was  full ;  his  mind  seemed 
preoccupied;  he  seemed  to  follow  mechanically. 
At  last  he  saw  the  moment  come  which  must  once 
more  sever  him  from  them,  and  with  a  long  breath 
he  began  to  speak. 

**  It  air  seldom,  young  sirs,"  said  he,  "  that  I  am 
called  on  to  experience  a  sensation  sich  as  that 
which  this  moment  swells  this  aged  boosom  ;  an  I 
feel  that  this  is  one  of  the  most  mournful  moments 
of  my  checkered  career.  Thar's  a  sadness,  an  a 
depression,  an  a  melancholy,  sich  as  I've  seldom 
knowed  afore.  Tain't  altogether  the  loss  of  the 
friend  of  my  youth.  That  air  passed  and  gone  — 
'tis  o'er.  I've  met  that  grief  an  surmounted  him. 
But  it  was  a  sore  struggle,  and  the  aged  Corbet 
ain't  the  man  he  once  was.  Consequently,  I'm 
onmanned  ;  I'm  all  took  aback.  It's  this  here  sei^a- 
ration,  boys  dear,  comin  as  it  doos.  hard  an  fast 
on  the  heels  of  the  great  calamity  of  the  loved  and 
lost  Antelope.  But  it's  got  to  be."  —  He  paused 
and  sighed  heavily.  "  Yes,"  he  continued,  pensively, 
"it's  got  to  be.  You  ain't  my  sons;  you've  got 
parients  an  gardens  that's  anxious  about-  you  an 
wants  to  see  you,  and  no  doubt  hain't  got  that  con- 
fidence in  me  which  they  might  have  in  some. 
But  go  you,  boys  dear,  and  tell  all  them  parients 


COKBEl'S  GRIEF  a!"  PARTING. 


313 


30080111 ;  an  I 
nful  Jiiotnents 


an  gardens  that  there  ain't  a  pang,  an  there  ain't 
a  emotion,  an  there  ain't  a  anxiety,  an  there  ain't 
a  grief  that  they've  ever  had  for  any  of  j^ou  that  I 
liaven't  hud  for  every  one  of  you.  Tell  them  that 
there  ain't  a  tear  that  they've  shed  over  you,  but 
I've  shed  too  ;  an  there  ain't  a  sigh  they've  heaved 
what  I  haven't  heaved,  and  aiu't  a  groan  they've 
groaned  that  I  ain't  groaned  too.  Tell  them  that 
Corbet,  with  all  his  faults,  loves  you  still,  an  that 
if  you  run  into  dangers  and  trials,  thar  wan't  a  mo- 
ment when  he  wouldn't  hev  shed  his  heart's  blood 
to  get  you  off'  safe  and  clear.  Don't  let  era  run 
away  with  the  idee  that  I'm  a  stony-hearted 
monster  that's  ben  a  endangerin  of  your  lives  in 
divers  places.  I'm  ready  to  be  blamed  for  carless- 
ness  an  ignorance,  boys  dear,  but  not  for  lack  of 
affection.  You  know  it,  an  I  know  that  you  know 
it,  an  what  I  want  is  for  you  all  to  make  them 
know  it  too.  For,  boys  dear,  I'm  a  father,  an  I 
know  a  father's  heart,  an  I  wouldn't  have  the 
heart  of  any  father  made  bitter  against  me." 

How  long  the  venerable  navigator  world  ha'. e 
gone  on  talking,  it  is  impossible  to  say ;  indeed,  it 
seemed  now  as  if,  after  his  long  silence,  his  tongue, 
having  once  found  voice,  had  become  endowed  with 
perpetual  motion,  and  was  ready  to  wag  forever. 
But  Bennio  Grigg  put  on  a  stopper,  and  abruptly 
interrupted. 

"Ail  right,  all  right,  my  hearty,"  said  he;  "  I'll 
engage  that  they'll  do  all  that ;  but  thar  ain't  no 


314 


THE  TREASURE   OP   THE  SEAS. 


time  to  lose ;  so  tumble  in,  boys,  tumble  in,  and 
let's  get  off  so  as  to  round  the  pint  an  take  the 
flood  tide  as  it  runs  up. 

Upon  this  the  boys  all  shook  hands  hurriedly 
with  Captain  Corbet,  one  after  another,  and  then 
each  one  "  tumbled  "  into  the  boat.  Captain  Cor- 
bet, thus  suddenly  silenced,  remained  silent  as  he 
seized  each  one's  hand.  Then  Bennie  called  upon 
him  and  Solomon  to  help  him  shove  off  the  boat. 
Then  Bennie  jumped  in  and  hoisted  the  sail. 
Then  the  boat  moved  siowly  away,  bearing  the 
"  B.  0.  W.  C."  and  their  fortunes. 

"  Good  by,  boys,"  wailed  Captain  Corbet. 

"  Good  by,"  murmured  the  aged  Solomon. 

"  Good  by  I     Good  by  I  "  cried  all  the  boys. 

"  We'll  meet  soon,"  said  Captain  Corbet. 

"  0,  yes  —  in  a  few  weeks,"  cried  Tom. 

And  so  with  frequent  good  bys  the  boat  moved 
slowly  from  the  beach,  and  slowly  passed  over  the 
water  till  the  forms  of  the  itgo  1  Solomon  and  the 
ancient  mariner  were  graduaiiv  ^  ;st  to  view. 


iS. 


Scott's  bay. 


315 


imble  in,  and 
;  an  take  the 

[ids  hurriedly 
ler,  and  then 

Captain  Cor- 
I  silent  as  he 
e  called  upon 

off  the  boat, 
ted   the    sail. 

bearing  the 

Jorbet. 

ilomon. 

ihe  boys. 

5rbet. 

rom. 

e  boat  moved 

ssed  over  the 

mon  and  the 

0  view. 


XXVI. 

A  hard  Pull.  —  Wind  and  Tide.  —  Bennie's  "Idee." 
—  Jolly  under  creditable  Circumstances.  —  TJie 
Triple  Promontory.  —  The  Advance  of  the  Fog.  — 
The  Line  of  Cliff.  — The  foaming  Sea.  — Tlie  slow 
Passage  of  the  Hours.  —  The  Strait  of  Minas.  — 
Land  at  Last.  —  Bennie  triumphant. 

'HE  tide  was  coming  up ;  some  time  had 
elapsed  since  the  Antelope  had  sunk,  and 
it  had  sufficed  for  the  ebb  of  the  tide  and 
its  return  to  its  flood.  The  wind  also  was  light, 
and  as  they  sought  to  get  out  of  Scott's  Bay,  they 
had  the  tide  against  them,  and  very  little  wind  to 
fa  'or  them.  At  first  they  moved  rather  along  the 
line  of  the  shore  than  away  from  it,  and  though 
they  lost  sight  of  the  figures  on  the  beach,  they 
did  not  therefore  make  any  very  great  progress. 

Scott's  Bay  is  enclosed  in  a  circle  of  land  formed 
by  the  Nova  Scotia  coast,  which  here  rises  high 
above  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  and  throws  out  a  long, 
circling  arm,  terminating  in  a  rugged,  storm-beaten, 
and  sea-worn  crag,  known  as  Cape  Split.  It  was 
necessary  to  double  this  cape,  and  then  go  up  the 
Strait  of  Minas  to  Parrsboro',  which  place  was  at 
the  head  of  the  strait,  inside  Minas  Basin,  and  rig 


r* 


816 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


opposite  Capo  Blomidon.  Tn  order  to  do  this, 
either  the  wind  or  the  tide  ought  to  favor  the  navi- 
gator; but,  unfortunately,  on  the  present  occasion, 
they  were  not  thus  favored. 

"  I  had  an  idee,"  said  Bennie,  after  a  long  silence, 
"  I  had  an  idee  that  the  wind  would  come  up  a 
leetle  stronger  out  here,  but  it  don't  seem  to ;  an 
now  I've  auction  that  it's  goin  to  turn.  If  so  we'll 
be  delayed,  but  still  you'll  be  landed  in  Parrsboro' 
time  enough  to  catch  the  steamer.  Only  you 
may  have  to  be  longer  gettin  thar  than  you  count- 
ed on." 

"  0,  we  don't  care.  Only  get  us  there  in  time 
for  the  steamer,  and  we  won't  complain." 

**Wal,  it's  best  to  make  up  one's  mind  for  the 
wust,  you  know.  The  wind  may  change,  an  then 
we  may  be  out  half  the  night,  or  even  all  night. 
But,  at  any  rate,  I'll  put  you  through." 

"  You  needn't  think  about  any  inconvenience  to 
us.  We're  only  too  grateful  to  you  for  putting 
yourself  out  so  much,  and  none  of  us  would  care 
whether  we  were  out  all  night  or  not.  We've 
learned  to  rough  it  during  the  last  two  or  three 
weeks." 

Bennie  now  diverted  Ms  gaze  to  the  surround- 
ing sea,  and  kept  his  eyes  fixed  upon  it  for  a  long 
time  in  silence,  while  the  boys  chatted  together  in 
the  light-hearted  manner  peculiar  to  those  who  feel 
quite  comfortable,  and  have  no  particular  aversion 
even  to  a  moderate  amount  of  discomfort.  Yet 
Bennie  did  not  seem  altogether  at  ease.     There 


^ 


1. 


s.  ■ 

to  do  this, 
Ivor  the  navi- 
ent  occasion, 

long  silence, 
1  come  up  a 

seem  to ;  an 
If-  so  we'll 
in  Parrsboro' 
Only  you 
n  you  count- 
here  in  time 
lain." 

mind  for  the 
nge,  an  then 
en  all  night. 

nvenience  to 
for  putting 
3  would  care 
not.  We've 
two  or  three 

lie  surround- 
it  for  a  long 
I  together  in 
lose  who  feel 
liar  aversion 
)mfort.  Yet 
jase.     There 


CAPE  SPLIT. 


317 


was  a  slight  frown  on  his  noble  brow,  and  he  did 
not  show  that  genial  disposition  which  generally 
distingr.ished  him. 

The  wind  was  light  and  fitful.  At  first  it  had 
been  favorable,  but  before  long  it  changed.  It  did 
not  grow  stronger,  indeed  ;  yet  still,  though  it  con- 
tinued light,  the  fact  that  it  was  acting  against 
them  made  their  prospects  worse,  and  justified 
Bonnie's  fears  that  they  might  be  out  all  night, 
riie  distance  was  not  great,  being  not  more  than 
fifteen  miles  or  so ;  but  their  course  was  in  such  a 
direction  that  the  opposition  of  wind  and  tide 
might  delay  them  to  a  very  uncomfortable  extent. 
The  spur  of  the  coast  line,  which  terminated  in 
Cape  Split,  as  has  been  said,  and  formed  the  bay, 
ran  for  about  five  miles,  and  this  distance  it  was 
necessary  to  traverse  before  they  could  go  up  the 
Strait  of  Minas. 

"  I  think,  boys,"  said  Bennie,  at  last,  "  we'd  best 
try  the  oars,  for  a  while  at  least.  We  may  save  a 
tide.  I  don't  know,  but  at  any  rate  we'd  best  try 
an  see  ;  for,  you  see,  we've  got  the  wind  agin  us 
now,  —  what  thar  is  of  it,  —  an  thar's  no  knovviu 
how  much  wuss  it  may  grow.  If  we  could  ony 
git  around  that  pint  afore  the  tide  turned,  wo 
might  save  ourselves  from  spendin  the  night  aboard. 
I  did  hope  that  the  wind  might  favor  us;  but  it's 
changed  since  we  started,  an  now  I  see  we'd  best 
prepar  for  the  wust." 

"  All  right  1 "  cried  Bruce,  cheerily ;  "  we^re  in 
for  anything.    We  can  pull  as  long  as  you  like." 


;!iis 


y 


318 


THE  TREaSUPE  op  THE  SEAS. 


Upon  this  the  boys  took  the  oars  which  were  in 
the  boat,  and  began  to  row.  There  were  four  oars. 
Bennie  lowered  the  sail,  and  took  the  stroke  oar, 
Bruce  and  Arthur  took  the  next  oars,  and  Bart  the 
bow  oar.  They  rowed  in  this  way  for  about  an 
hour,  and  then  they  changed,  Arthur  taking  the 
stroke  oar,  Tom  and  Phil  the  next  oars,  and  Pat  the 
bow  oar.  Bruce  soon  relieved  Arthur,  and  thus 
they  rowed  along. 

The  labor  at  the  oars,  far  from  being  unpleasant, 
served  to  beguile  the  time.  Those  who  were  not 
rowing  sang  songs  to  enliven  the  labor  of  the  row- 
ers. Bennie  was  anxious  to  row  all  the  time,  but 
after  the  first  hour  he  was  not  allowed  to  row 
any  more,  the  boys  declaring  that  it  was  enough 
for  him  to  come  with  them,  and  that  it  was  no 
more  than  fair  that  they  should  work  their 
own  way. 

As  they  went,  the  wind  increased  somewhat,  and, 
as  the  tide  was  strong,  the  two  powers  combined 
to  oppose  their  progress.  They  therefore  did  not 
make  the  headway  which  was  desirable,  and  after 
one  hour  of  steady  pulling  they  did  not  find  them- 
selves more  than  half  way  to  Cape  Split.  Still, 
they  did  not  become  discouraged,  but  rowed 
bravely  on,  making  the  change  above  mentioned, 
and  anticipating  a  turn  for  the  better  when  once 
they  had  doubled  the  cape. 

At  length  they  reached  the  cape.  More  tlian 
two  hours  of  haid  rowing  had  been  required  to 
bring  them  there,  and  on  reaching  this  place  they 


AS. 


A  HARD  PULL. 


319 


which  were  in 
vere  four  oars, 
ho  stroke  oar, 
and  Bart  the 
for  about  an  • 
ur  taking  the 
rs,  and  Pat  the 
;hur,  and  thus 

ng  unpleasant, 
who  were  not 
)or  of  the  row- 
1  the  time,  but 
lowed  to  row 
it  was  enough 
hat  it  was  no 
I    work    their 

somewhat,  and, 
vers  combined 
refore  did  not 
ible,  and  after 
not  find  them- 
J  Split.  Still, 
i,  but  rowed 
ve  mentioned, 
ter  when  once 

5.  More  than 
n  required  to 
bis  place  they 


saw  Bennie's  face  still  covered  with  gloora  and 
anxiety.  What  that  might  mean,  they  did  not  at 
first  know ;  but  they  soon  found  out.  At  first,  how- 
ever, they  were  too  much  taken  up  with  their  own 
thoughts,  and  the  natural  pride  which  they  felt  at 
liaving  attained  the  aim  of  so  long  and  anxious  an 
endeavor,  to  notice  particularly  any  expression 
which  Bennie's  face  might  assume.  Besides,  there 
was  something  in  the  scene  before  them  which  was 
sufficiently  grand  to  engross  all  their  thoughts. 

Among  the  freaks  of  nature,  so  called,  few  are 
more  extraordinary,  and  at  the  same  time  more  im- 
pressive and  sublime,  than  that  which  is  afforded 
by  this  Cape  Split.  The  whole  northern  shore  of 
Nova  Scotia,  which  borders  on  the  Bay  of  Fundy, 
consists  of  a  high  ridge,  knowm  as  the  North  Moun- 
tain. With  one  or  two  great  chasms,  like  that  Jit 
the  entrance  into  Annapolis  Basin,  it  runs  along 
until  it  arrives  at  the  Basin  of  Minas,  where  it  ter- 
minates at  the  sublime  promontory  of  Blomidon. 
Yet  it  hardly  terminates  here.  Rather  it  may  bo 
said  to  turn  about  and  seek  once  more  to  invado 
the  water,  which,  for  so  many  miles,  it  has  defied ; 
and  thus  turning,  it  advances  for  some  miles  into 
the  Bay  of  Fundy,  forming  thus,  by  this  encircling 
arm,  Scott's  Bay,  and  finally  terminating  in  Capo 
Split.  Here,  where  the  tides  are  highest,  and  the  rusii 
of  the  waters  strongest.  Cape  Split  arises,  —  wild, 
rough,  worn  by  the  sea,  and  scarred  l)y  the  storm, — 
a  triple  series  of  gigantic  peaks  that  advance  into 
the  profoundest  depths  of  the  Bav  of  Fundy,  whope 


320 


THE   TREASURE   OF   THE   SEAS. 


waters,  at  every  ebb  and  flow  of  their  tremendous 
tides,  roll,  and  foam,  and  boil,  and  seethe  about  the 
base  of  the  torn  promontory.  The  chfTs  of  Blomi- 
don  rise  precipitously,  and  Blomidon  itself  is  the 
centre  of  attraction  in  the  scenery  of  a  vast  circuit 
of  country;  but  Blomidon  itself,  to  a  near  observer, 
shows  less  wildness  of  outline  and  less  of  pictur- 
esque grandeur,  than  that  which  is  revealed  in  the 
terrific  outline  of  Cape  Split.  Taken  in  connection 
with  all  the  surrounding  landscape  as  its  centre 
and  heart,  Blomidon  is  undoubtedly  superior ;  but 
taken  by  itself  alone,  without  any  adjuncts  save 
sea  and  sky,  it  is  Cape  Split  that  the  artist  would 
choose  to  portray  upon  the  canvas,  or  the  lover  of 
the  picturesque  and  the  sublime  to  feast  his 
eyes  upon. 

This,  then,  was  the  point  which  they  had  reached, 
and  they  saw  before  them  a  series  of  giant  rocks 
towering  aloft  from  the  depths  of  the  sea  hundreds 
of  feet  into  the  air,  —  black,  rough,  without  a  trace 
of  vegetation,  thrusting  their  sharp  pinnacles  into 
the  sky,  while  thousands  of  sea-gulls  screamed 
about  their  summits,  and  myriads  of  sea-waves 
beat  about  their  bases.  There  the  tide  rolled,  and 
the  ocean  currents  streamed  to  and  fro,  and  the  bil- 
lows of  the  sea  kept  up  perpetual  war,  assailing 
the  flinty  rock,  and  slowly  wearing  away,  as  they 
had  been  doing  through  the  ages,  atom  by  atom  and 
fragment  by  fragment,  the  forms  of  these  mighty 
bulwarks  of  the  land. 

This  was  the  scene  upon  which  they  gazed  as 


bennie's  akxiett. 


321 


they  reached  Cape  Split  and  prepared  to  enter  into 
the  Strait  of  Minus.  But  J^ennie's  brow  was  dark, 
and  Bennie's  brow  was  gloomy,  and  there  were 
thoughts  in  Bennie's  mind  which  had  no  connec- 
tion with  any  grandeur  of  scenery  or  beauty  of 
landscape.  For  Beunie  was  thinking  of  the  practi- 
cal, and  not  of  the  picturesque  ;  and  so  it  was 
that  the  question  of  reaching  Parrsboro'  was  of 
far  more  importance  to  him  than  the  glories  and 
the  grandeur  and  all  the  sublime  attractions  of 
Cape  Split. 

"  Tell  you  what  it  is,  boys,"  said  he,  after  a  long 
and  thoughtful  silence,  "  we've  missed  it,  an  we've 
gofto  look  sharp,  or  else  we'll  miss  it  agen." 

"  Missed  it  ?    Missed  what  ?  "  . 

"  What  ?    Why,  everythii  g." 

"  Everything.     What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Wal,  it's  this  con-founded  tide." 

«  What  about  it  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  see,"  said  Beunie,  scratching  his 
grizzled  head,  "  I  thought  we  might  git  round  the 
cape  in  time  to  catch  the  flood  tide,  and  if  so,  it 
would  carry  us  straight  up  to  Parrsboro' ;  but,  un- 
fort'nately,  we'.ve  jest  missed  it.  We've  took  so 
much  time  in  gittin  here  that  we've  lost  the  flood. 
The  tide's  now  on  the  ebb,  an  it's  clear  agin  us. 
What's  wuss,  it  runs  down  tremenjus,  an  it'll  be  a 
leetle  hard  for  us  to  git  up  anyhow ;  an,  what's 
wusser,  thar's  goin  to  be  a  fog." 

"A  fog  I" 

21 


III 


III) 


I 

m 


M\ 

11, 

1 


i;i:i;i! 


I'hUnni 


mUii 


I  :lill 


11 


322 


THE  TREASURE  OF   THE  SEAS. 


"  Yes,  a  fog,  an  no  mistake.  See  tliar,"  —  and 
Bennie  pointed  down  the  bay,  —  "  see  thar.  Tho 
wind's  ben  a  shiftin  an's  finally  settled  into  a  sou- 
wester,  an  thar's  the  fog  a  drawin  in  all  rounc 
U8,  an  before  another  half  hour  we'll  be  all  shut  in, 
an  won't  be  able  to  see  the  other  end  of  the  boat. 
What's  wuss  still,  the  fog  is  goin  to  be  a  reglar 
settled  fog,  an  may  last  a  fortnight;  an  the  on}* 
thing  that  I  can  see  in  our  favor  jest  now  U, 
that  the  wii^d  is  fair  for  us ;  but,  unfortinately,  the 
wind  don't  seem  to  promise  to  be  strong  enough 
to  carry  us  up  agin  the  tide." 

"  What !  Can't  we  get  to  Parrsboro'  in  time  for 
the  steamer  at  all  ?  " 

"The  steamer?  0,  yes,  no  doubt  about  that. 
But  what  I'm  afeard  on  is,  that  we'll  be  all  niglit 
about  it." 

"  O,  well,  that  can't  be  helped.  We  can  stand  it. 
We've  had  worse  things  than  this  to  stand  of  late, 
and  this  is  mere  child's  play." 

"  Child's  play  ?  Wal,  I  don't  know  about  that  al- 
together,"  said  Bennie.  "  For  my  part,  I  don't  seem 
to  see  how  goin'  without  sleep's  child's  play,  as  you 
call  it ;  but  still  I'm  glad  all  the  same  that  you  look 
on  it  in  this  way ;  I  am  raill3\" 

"  0,  you  needn't  give  any  thought  to  us.  Wc'ro 
old  stagers.  We've  been  shipwrecked  and  we've 
lived  on  desert  islands.  We've  risked  our  lives  a 
dozen  times  in  a  dozen  days.  Fellows  that  have 
bieen  cast  ashore  on  Anticosti  and  on  Sable  leland, 


)  thar,"  —  and 
eo  thar.  The 
ed  into  a  sou- 
ti  in  all  round 

be  all  shut  in, 
d  of  the  boat, 
to  be  a  reglar 
it;  an  the  ony 
r  jest  now  is, 
fortinately,  the 

strong  enough 

Dro*  in  time  for 

bt  fiboiit  that. 
'11  be  all  niglit 

^e  can  stand  it. 
0  stand  of  late, 

w  about  that  al- 
\rt,  1  don't  seem 
d's  play,  as  you 
10  that  you  look 

it  to  us.  We're 
eked  and  we've 
sked  our  lives  a 
Hows  that  have 
on  Sable  Island, 


BEY  ERE  EXPERIENCES  OF  THE  BOTS. 


823 


can't  be  frightened  at  anything  that  you  can  men- 
tion." 

"  After  my  life  on  He  Haute  out  there,"  said  Tom, 
looking  at  the  dim  form  of  He  Haute,  which  was 
even  then  being  enveloped  in  the  gathering  fog, 
"  1  think  this  is  mere  child's  play." 

"  And  after  my  adventures  in  the  woods,"  said 
Phil,  "  I'm  ready  for  anything." 

"Pat  and  I,"  said  Bart,  "have  known  all  the 
bitterness  of  death,  and  have  felt  what  it  is  to  be 
buried  alive." 

"An  meself,"  said  Pat,  "by  the  same  token, 
have  known  what  it  is  to  bathe  in  the  leper  wather, 
BO  I  have ;  an  what's  fog  to  that  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Arthur,  "  I've  had  my  turn  off  An- 
ticosti  in  the  boat,  Tom  and  I." 

"  And  I,"  said  Bruce,  "  have  had  my  turn  at  the 
Five  Islands ;  so  you  see  you've  got  to  do  with  a 
lot  of  fellows  that  don't  care  a  rush  for  fogs  and 
tides,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing." 

"  Wal,  young  fellers,"  said  Bennie,  "  I  knock 
tinder,  I  cave  in.  I  won't  say  anything  more. 
You're  all  the  right  sort,  an  are  ready  for  any- 
thing. So  come  along;  an  here  goes  for  Parrs- 
boro'.  You've  got  to  be  up  all  night;  but  arter 
all,  you've  got  wraps  and  rugs,  an  bread  an  butter, 
an  pie,  an  can  keep  yourselves  warm,  an  can  have 
enough  to  eat,  —  *  so  what's  the  odds,  as  long  as 
you^re  happy  ? '  I  ain^t  a  croaker,  I  ainH,  but  go  in 
for  bein  cheerful,  an  if  you  ain't  goin  to  knock  un- 
der, why  I  ain't,  an  so  let's  be  jolly  an  move  on." 


/■■ 


y 


i)r,,j      ir     h 
't''i!|'''l 


824 


TTIE  TREASURE   OP  THE  SEAS. 


Saying  this,  Bennie  hoisted  his  sail  once  more. 
The  wind  was  h'ght,  but  fair,  and  the  only  question 
now  was,  whether  that  wind  would  be  strong 
enough  to  carry  the  boat  against  the  tide.  As  to 
the  tide,  that  was  certainly  sufficiently  strong,  but 
unfortunately  it  was  unfavorable.  The  tide  had 
turned,  and  was  running  down  the  Strait  of  Minas, 
up  which  they  wished  to  go.  The  tide  was  thus 
adverse,  and  in  addition  to  this  was  the  fog. 

The  fog! 

Yes,  the  fog,  the  dreaded,  the  baleful  fog,  was 
coming  on.  Already  He  Haute  was  concealed  from 
view.  Soon  the  c  isite  shore  would  be  veiled. 
Worse  than  all,  the  night  was  coming  on.  With 
fog  and  darkness  united,  their  way  would  be  un- 
certain indeed. 

Fortunately  for  them,  the  way  was  a  straight 
one,  and  the  wind,  though  not  very  strong,  and 
though  opposed  by  the  tide,  was  yet  fair.  This 
much  was  in  their  favor. 

And  so  they  spread  their  sails.  And  the  wind 
filled  the  sails,  and  the  boat  went  on.  The  tide 
was  against  them,  but  still  the  boat  advanced. 
Some  progress,  at  last,  was  made.  Hour  after  hour 
passed,  and  still  they  went  on.  Bennie  seemed  to 
be  quite  encouraged.  At  last  they  came  to  a  wide 
beach. 

"Hurrabl'*  said  Bennie,  "we^re  here  at  last. 
This  is  the  place,  lads.  We're  at  ParrsboroM 
Sarirahl** 


:m\\ 

|iil.,|iiM 


\ 


t-' 


BEKNIE  S  RETURN  HOME. 


325 


XXXVIl. 

Tlie  Village  by  the  Sea,  —  Tlie  Village  Inn, — A 
hospitable  Landlord.  —  Making  Inquiries,  —  As- 
tounding Intelligence.  —  Dismay  followed  by  De- 
spair, —  A  Search  without  Result,  —  A  mournful 
Walk.  —  A  Sail  I  A  Sail !  —  Boat,  Ahoy !  —  An 
old  Friend !  —  Great  Jubilation,  —  Conclusion, 


VT  had  been  a  most  eventful  day  for  all  the 
J;  boys,  and  when  they  stepped  ashore  it  was 
nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  They  looked 
around  with  some  curiosity,  for  they  saw  no  signs 
of  houses  just  here,  though  the  fog  had  diminished 
greatly,  and  it  was  not  so  dark  but  that  they  could 
see  the  outline  of  the  shore. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  Bennie,  "  here  you  are.  You 
see  that  island  in  front,  —  well,  Parrsboro^  is  just 
behind  that,  and  not  more'n  half  a  mile  oflf  by  land. 
It's  too  far  to  go  round  it  in  the  boat ;  so  we'll 
leave  her  here,  and  I'll  show  you  the  way  along 
the  shore." 

With  these  words,  Bennie  drew  up  the  boat  a 
little  distance,  and  secured  it  by  putting  the  an- 
chor out  upon  the  beach.  After  this  he  started  off, 
and  the  boys  followed.  Bennie  walked  along  the 
beach,  occasionally  e:;  plaining  the  different  object0 


)M^' 


326 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


around,  pointing  out  Blomidon,  Partridgo  Island, 
and  other  places,  all  familiar  enough,  and  needing 
only  to  be  mentioned  to  bo  recognized  by  the  boys. 

At  length  they  came  in  sight  of  a  number  of 
houses  on  the  side  of  a  hill  close  by  a  cove.  Lights 
shone  in  the  windows,  and  everything  had  a  most 
inviting  appearance. 

"  Here  you  air,  boys,"  said  Bennie,  "  an  here  Pil 
leave  you,  for  you  can  find  your  way  on  easy  enough. 
YouVe  only  got  to  foller  your  noses.  I've  got  to 
go  back  an  drop  down  with  the  tide  so  as  to  git 
to  Cape  Split  before  the  wind  goes  down.  An  so 
I'll  bid  you  good  by." 

The  boys  made  no  eiFort  to  detain  him,  for  they 
knew  well  that  the  return  would  be  tedious,  and 
had  no  desire  to  keep  him  away  from  his  home  any 
longer  than  they  could  help.  So  they  all  shook 
hands  with  him,  thanking  him  earnestly,  and  prom- 
ising, in  obedience  to  his  reiterated  request,  to 
pay  him  a  visit  on  their  return  to  school.  Bennie 
now  left  them  and  returned  to  his  boat,  in  which 
he  embarked  and  set  sail  for  Scott's  Bay.  The 
boys  went  on.  The  village  was  reached  in  a  short 
time,  and  they  walked  to  the  inn. 

On  entering  the  parlor  of  the  inn,  they  were  ac- 
costed by  the  landlord,  and  the  following  conversa- 
tion took  place. 

"  Can  you  give  us  accommodation  for  the  night  ?  •' 

"  0,  yes." 

'^  And  get  us  some  tea  as  quick  as  you  can,  for 
we're  starving  ?  " 


\ 


s. 


ASTOUNDING  INTELLIGENCE. 


327 


ridgo  Island, 
and  needing 
by  the  boys. 
a  number  of 
cove.  Lights 
g  had  a  most 

"  an  here  Til 
easy  enough. 
I've  got  to 
)  so  as  to  git 
own.     An  so 

him,  for  they 
tedious,  and 
his  home  any 
hey  all  shook 
ly,  and  prom- 
1  request,  to 
lool.  Bennie 
oat,  in  which 
s  Bay.  The 
led  in  a  short 

hey  were  ac- 
ing  conversa- 

r the  night?" 

you  can,  for 


"  You  can  have  it  in  half  an  hour." 

*' That's  right.  We've  just  come  over  from 
Scott's  Bay,  and  have  had  no  end  of  a  tug.  We 
want  to  take  the  steamer  here  to  St.  John." 

"  0,  ye '11  be  wan  tin  to  wait  for  the  steamer." 

"  Yes ;  it's  the  only  thing  for  us  to  do ;  and  I'm 
precious  glad  we've  got  such  good  quarters." 

"0,  ay.  Parrsboro's  a  good  place  to  stop  at. 
There  be  people  that  stops  here  weeks  an  months, 
an  says  as  how  it's  one  of  the  best  places  goin.  I 
can  put  yes  on  the  way  to  the  best  streams  for 
salmon  an  trout  in  the  country ;  an  ye  can  have  c. 
nice  boat  if  ye  want  to  go  over  to  Blomidon ;  it's  a 
mighty  fine  place  over  there,  and  folks  finds  cur'ous 
minerals ;  an  if  ye  want  deep-sea  fishin,  why,  out 
there  a  mile  or  two  in  the  bay  ye  can  get  no  end 
of  cod." 

"  0,  for  tha.  matter,  we  haven't  any  idea  of  sport- 
ing. We're  in  too  much  of  a  hurry.  Just  get  us 
a  tea  and  bed,  and  I  suppose  we'll  have  time  to 
get  breakfast  to-morrow?" 

The  landlord  stared. 

"Time?     Breakfast?" 

"  Yes ;  before  the  steamer  comes,  you  know." 

"  Before  the  steamer  comes  ?  "  repeated  the  land- 
lord, dubiously. 

"  Yes ;  I  suppose  she  won't  touch  here  too  early 
but  that  we'll  have  time  for  breakfast  ?  " 

"Breakfast?    When?    To-morrow?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Why,  there's  no  steamer  comes  to-morrow." 


328 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


At  that  astonishing  intelligence,  all  the  boys 
started  up  to  their  feet  from  the  easy  lounging 
attitudes  into  which  they  had  flung  themselves, 
and  surrounding  the  landlord,  stared  at  him  with 
speechless  amazement. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  cried  Bruce,  at  last ;  "  no  steam- 
er to-morrow  ?  " 

"  No ;  0,  dear,  no." 

"  Why  —  why  —  when  does  she  come  here  ?  " 

"  Why,  she  was  here  this  morning,  and  won't  be 
here  again  till  this  day  week." 

"  This  morning  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  she  was  here  about  ten  o'clock." 

"  This  morning  1    Ten  o'clock ! " 

«  Jest  so." 

Once  more  the  boys  subsided  into  silence.  All 
was  plain  now.  Bennie  had  utterly  mistaken  the 
day  of  the  steamer.  It  was  not  an  unlikely  thing 
for  him  to  do,  living  as  he  did  in  an  out-of-the- 
way  place,  and  having  no  interest  in  the  steamer's 
movements.  But  the  mistake  had  been  made,  and 
there  was  the  stolid  fact  that  no  steamer  would 
touch  at  Parrsboro'  for  a  whole  week  to  come. 

The  landlord  now  went  off  to  prepare  their  tea, 
and  the  boys,  left  to  themselves,  discussed  the  sit- 
uation in  a  low,  melancholy,  and  utterly  dispirited 
way.  At  length  tea  made  its  appearance  —  a 
bounteous  repast.  The  well-loaded  table  gave  u 
new  turn  to  their  thoughts,  and  as  they  sat  down 
with  ravenous  appetites  to  partake  of  the  same, 


THE  DILEMMA. 


329 


ill  the  boys 
,sy  lounging 
themselves, 
at  him  with 

; "  no  steam- 


e  here  ?  " 
,nd  won't  be 


ck." 


lilence.  All 
nistaken  the 
ilikely  thing 
a  out-of-the- 
tie  steamer's 
n  made,  and 
amer  would 
[)  come, 
re  their  tea, 
ssed  the  sit- 
\y  dispirited 
3arance  —  a 
ible  gave  u 
3y  sat  down 
f  the  same, 


they  felt  that  they  had  something  still  left  to  live 
for. 

After  tea  they  resumed  the  discussion  of  the 
situation.  It  seemed  to  them  now  not  by  any 
means  so  forlorn  and  gloomy  as  it  had  done  beibre 
tea,  for  then  they  were  weary,  worn  out,  and  half 
starved ;  but  now,  thanks  to  the  generous  repast, 
they  all  felt  life,  and  strength,  and  hope,  and  looked 
out  upon  life  and  its  vicissitudes  with  the  utmost 
equanimity.  So  great  is  the  effect  which  is  pro- 
duced upon  the  mind  by  a  good  dinner  I  They  now 
invited  the  landlord  to  take  a  share  in  their  discus- 
sion, and  in  order  to  enable  him  to  do  so  to  the  best 
advantage,  they  enlightened  him  as  to  the  immediate 
cause  of  their  presence  here,  informing  him  about 
the  voyage  of  the  Antelope,  her  mournful  fate,  and 
Bennie  Grigg's  kindness  in  bringing  them  to  Parrs- 
boro\  Bennie  had  indeed  been  very  kind,  and  had 
put  himself  to  no  end  of  trouble  for  their  sakes, 
and  was  even  at  that  time,  perhaps,  thinking,  with  a 
glow  of  satisfaction,  of  them,  little  dreaming  how 
completely,  though  unintentionally,  he  had  de- 
ceived them. 

The  first  thing  the  landlord  advised,  after  hear- 
ing  all  this,  was,  that  they  had  better  wait  till  the 
steamer  came.  He  offered,  if  they  did  so,  to  put 
them  in  the  way  of  all  the  sport  that  the  country 
could  afford,  —  fishing  of  all  kinds,  shooting  too, 
and  excursions  to  places  of  interest.  But  the  land- 
lord's offer  was  not  very  gratefully  received.  It 
was,  in  fact,  rejected  at  once  most  peremptorily. 


330 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


i 


Wait  a  week  I  And  in  Parrsboro'  I  Impossible ! 
It  was  not  to  be  thought  of  for  a  moment. 

What  else  was  there  to  do  ? 

To  this  question  the  landlord  showed  two  an- 
swers. One  thing  to  do  was  to  go  by  land ;  another 
thing,  to  try  to  find  some  schooner,  and  go  by  water. 
As  to  the  land  route  he  had  much  to  say.  There 
was  a  mail  stage  that  ran  every  week  to  New 
Brunswick,  but  as  it  went  only  on  steamboat  daj's, 
and  as  it  would  not  go  for  another  week,  they 
found  no  help  here.  The  landlord,  however, 
pointed  out  to  them  the  fact  that  they  could  hire  a 
wagon  and  travel  in  that  wa3^  He  offered  to  fur- 
nish them  with  a  commodious  wagon,  and  a  very 
nice  pair  of  ponies  that  would  take  them  through 
to  Dorchester,  in  New  Brunswick,  where  they 
could  catch  the  steamer  for  St.  John,  or  go  in  the 
mail  stage.  But,  unfortunately,  on  reckoning  up 
the  time  and  distance,  they  found  that  it  would 
take  about  four  days  to  perform  their  journey  in 
this  way. 

The  water  route  still  remained.  Could  they  not 
find  a  schooner  that  was  about  leaving?  The 
landlord  rather  thought  they  could.  One  way 
would  be  to  wait  till  some  schooner  passed  by  on 
its  way  down  the  bay,  and  board  her.  Ho  felt 
certain  that  any  coaster  would  land  them  at  St. 
John.  Another  way  would  be  to  go  to  Mill  Village, 
—  a  part  of  Parrsboro*,  which  lay  about  a  mile  off, be- 
hind a  hill,  —  and  look  up  a  vessel  among  the  numer- 
ous ones  which  at  that  time  happened  to  be  in 


A  JOURNEY  TO   MILL  VILLAGE. 


331 


Impossible ! 

IDt. 

^ed  two  an- 
id;  another 
JO  by  water, 
lay.     There 
ek  to  New 
nboat  days, 
^veek,  they 
,  however, 
jould  hire  a 
jred  to  fur- 
md  a  very 
nn  through 
^here   they 
r  go  in  the 
koning  up 
t  it  would 
journey  in 

d  they  not 
ing?  The 
One  way 
jsed  by  on 
.  Ho*  felt 
lem  at  St. 
[ill  Village, 
mile  off,  be- 
the  numer- 
I  to  be  in 


port.  Both  of  these  suggestions  seemed  good, 
and  the  boys  felt  sanguine  that  something  might 
result.  They  therefore  dismissed  the  idea  of 
going  by  land,  and  resolved  to  wait  at  least  one 
day,  to  see  whether  they  might  not  find  some 
schooner  which  would  take  them  down  the  bay. 

It  was  very  late  when  this  discussion  waa 
finished,  and  the  boys,  whom  excitement  had  thus 
far  sufficed  to  keep  awake,  now  yielded  to  the 
combined  influence  of  fatigue  and  sleepiness,  and 
retired  for  the  night.  That  night  passed  in  pro- 
found slumber,  and  the  dawn  of  day  still  found 
them  in  deep  sleep.  It  was  after  ten  o'clock  be- 
fore any  one  of  them  awoke ;  and  even  then,  so 
sleepy  were  they  that  they  did  not  feel  inclined  to 
get  up.  But  they  had  work  before  them,  and  so 
they  managed  to  dress  themselves  and  put  in  an 
appearance  at  breakfast,  which  had  been  waiting 
for  them  for  two  or  three  hours. 

Then  fouowed  a  journey  to  Mill  Village.  It  was 
a  beautiful  day ;  all  the  fog  was  gone ;  there  waa 
not  a  cloud  in  the  sky ;  the  water  was  rippled  by 
a  gentle  breeze  from  the  north,  and  its  blue  surface 
seemed  more  inviting  than  ever.  It  seemed  to 
promise  them  a  pleasant  return  to  their  home  if 
they  would  only  trust  themselves  once  more  to  it. 

The  landlord  had  a  wagon  all  ready  for  them, 
and  a  short  drive  brought  them  to  Mill  Village. 
It  was  rather  larger  and  busier  than  the  little 
settlement  where  the  inn  was,  and  they  noticed 
with  delight  three  schooners  in  port.     On  reach- 


332 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


ing  the  place  they  hurried  about,  making  inquiries. 
But  the  result  of  the  inquiries  was  not  very  cheer- 
ing. The  first  schooner  which  they  visited  was 
about  leaving  for  Windsor,  to  take  in  a  load  of 
plaster,  which  would  occupy  a  week^  after  which 
she  would  sail  for  Boston.  Schooner  the  second 
would  not  leave  for  a  fortnight,  for  she  was  waiting 
for  a  cargo  of  deals.  Schooner  the  third  was  even 
worse.  She  was  not  seaworthy,  and  the  skipper 
was  hesitating  between  repairing  her  and  con- 
demning her.  On  making  inquiries  further  as  to 
th )  probability  of  other  vessels  being  available 
along  the  coast,  they  could  learn  nothing.  And 
this  was  the  result  of  their  journey,  and  with  this 
they  had  to  satisfy  themselves  as  best  they  might. 
There  was  nothing  now  left  but  to  return  to  the  inn. 

It  was  one  o'clock  when  they  reached  the  inn. 
They  were  all  disheartened,  and  did  not  know  ex- 
actly what  to  do.  Dinner  over,  they  began  once 
more  to  discuss  the  situation ;  and  the  more  they 
discussed  it  the  more  they  found  it  necessary  to 
hire  the  landlord's  team  and  set  out  to  make  the 
long,  roundabout  land  journey.  But  it  was  now  too 
late  to  set  out  on  this  da}'',  and  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  wait  till  the  morrow.  This,  then,  was  the 
conclusion  to  which  they  came  ;  and  having  reached 
it,  they  began  to  feel  more  settled  in  their  minds. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  when  this  question 
was  at  last  settled,  and  weary  with  their  long  dis- 
cussion, they  all  went  out  to  stroll  about  the  vil- 
lage and  along  the  beach.    The  village  was  not 


3. 


A  SCHOONER   IN  SIGHT. 


333 


ing  inquiries, 
t  very  cheer- 
visited   was 
Q  a  load  of 
after  which 
the  second 
was  waiting 
;rd  was  even 
tho  skipper 
er  and  con- 
further  as  to 
ng  available 
thing.      And 
nd  with  this 
they  might, 
rn  to  the  inn. 
led  the  inn. 
t  know  ex- 
began  once 
more  they 
ecessary  to 
make  the 
vas  now  too 
bo  neces- 
n,  was  the 
fng  reached 
eir  minds. 
lis  question 
[r  long  dis- 
)ufc  the  vil- 
:e  w8d  not 


much  to  speak  of.  Some  half  dozen  houses,  with 
their  attendant  barns,  comprised  it  all.  The  beach, 
however,  was  very  much  indeed.  To  tho  right. 
Partridge  Island  arose,  lofty,  rugged,  wooded,  pro- 
jecting into  the  Strait  of  Minas.  Opposite  was  a 
long  line  of  precipitous  clilF,  which  terminated  in 
Blomidon.  The  beach  begai^  at  Partridge  Island, 
and  ran  on  in  a  long,  curving  line  for  more  than 
two  miles,  covered  with  pebbles,  and  sloping 
gradually  to  the  water.  Tho  view  was  remarkably 
beautiful.  On  the  right,  the  rugged,  wooded  island  ; 
in  front,  the  long  line  of  cliff  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  strait ;  farther  in,  the  sublime  form  of  Blomi- 
don ;  on  the  left,  the  beach,  winding  far  away  till  it 
terminated  in  a  promontory,  beyond  which  spread 
tho  wide  waters  of  the  Basin  of  Minas,  terminated 
in  L'lie  dim  distance  by  the  far-off  line  of  coast. 

And  there,  is  they  strolled  along  the  beach,  they 
became  aware  of  an  object  on  that  wide  sheet  of 
water  w^iich  filled  them  all  with  the  most  intense 
interest.     A  sail ! 

Yes ;  there  was  a  sail  there,  and  ic  was  moving 
towards  them — to  wards  the  Strait  of  Minas.  Doubt- 
less it  was  some  vessel  on  its  way  down  the  bay. 
It  was  a  schooner  bound,  perhaps,  for  Boston  —  or 
perhaps  for  St.  John,  '^hat  mattered  it?  Enough 
that  it  was  going  down  the  bay. 

One  wild  shout  of  joy  burst  forth  from  all  that 
forlorn  party  as  they  recognized  the  truth.  Here 
came  deliverance ;  here  came  a  way  of  escape ; 
they  were  saved.    Other  times  they  had  known 


334 


THE  TREASURE  OF  THE  SEAS. 


when  the  sight  of  an  approaching  vessel  would 
have  been  the  assurance  of  escape  from  something 
worse  than  this,  of  course ;  but  their  situation 
now,  though  not  perilous,  was  monotonous,  and 
wearisome,  and  doleful,  and  altogether  miserable  ; 
and  so  they  naturally  hailed  this  new  appearance 
with  shouts  of  joy. 

But  how  to  get  to  her  was  now  the  question. 

How  ?  Easily  enough.  Had  not  the  landlord  al- 
ready suggested  a  way  ?  Had  he  not  promised  to 
furnish  them  with  a  boat,  with  which  they  might 
board  any  passing  vessel?  Boats  there  were,  in 
plenty,  along  the  shore,  and  any  one  of  these  would 
BuflSce  for  their  purpose.  There  was  no  time  to 
lose.  The  schooner  was  coming  quickly  on,  borne 
by  wind  and  tide  ;  they  must  make  haste. 

And  they  did  make  haste. 

Hurrying  back  to  the  inn,  they  acquainted  the 
landlord  with  the  new  state  of  affairs.  That 
worthy,  though  loath  to  lose  his  lodgers,  was  still 
honest  and  sympathetic  enough  to  use  all  energy 
towards  furthering  their  desires,  and  proposed  at 
once  to  take  to  the  boat.  As  for  the  boys,  they  all 
felt  perfectly  sure  that  this  schooner  would  take 
them ;  and  so  they  insisted  on  paying  their  bills 
and  taking  a  final  leave  of  the  inn. 

The  boat  was  launched  without  any  trouble,  and 
soon  was  passing  over  the  waters,  impelled  by  oars 
in  the  hands  of  Bruce,  Arthur,  Bart,  and  Tom. 
The  schooner  came  on,  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
finally  came  within  hail. 


THE  MLETING   WITH   CAPTAIN  PRATT. 


335 


"  Schooner,  ahoy  ! " 

"Boat,  ahoy!" 

"  Where  are  you  bound  ?  " 

"  Schooner  Dart  —  St.  John." 

"  All  right.     We  want  to  go  aboard." 

In  a  few  moments  the  boat  was  alongside,  and 
the  boys  w^ere  all  aboard.  They  waved  a  farewell 
to  the  landlord,  who  dropped  astern,  and  then 
turned  to  the  skipper  to  make  known  their  wants. 
The  first  look  which  they  gave  to  the  skipper, 
who  was  standing  there  before  them,  was  enough 
to  fill  them  Avith  surprise  and  delight.  In  that 
broad,  thick-set  frame,  and  that  honest,  jovial  face, 
they  recognized  an  old  friend  and  a  cherished  one 
—  One,  too,  who  was  associated  with  the  memories 
of  former  adventures ;  in  fact,  no  other  than 
Captain  Pratt.  At  so  strange  and  unexpected 
a  meeting  they  v/ere  all  filled  with  amazement 
One  cry  burst  from  them  all, — 

"Captain  Pratt!" 

The  worthy  Pratt,  on  his  part,  was  no  less  sur- 
prised, and,  it  must  be  added,  no  less  delighted. 

"  Wh}'',  boys,  where  in  the  world  have  you 
sprung  ^rom?  Have  you  been  a  cruisin  about 
Minas  Basin  ever  since  ?  It  looks  like  it ;  but 
railly  now  —  it  can't  be  —  it  can't  railly." 

"  Well,  not  exactly,"  j^aid  Bart,  who  then  and 
there  began  to  give  a  brief  outline  of  the  adven- 
tures of  the  "  B.  0.  W.  C."  since  the  time  of  their 
visit  to  Pratt's  Cove,  where  they  had  last  parted 
with  their  worthy  friend. 


336 


THE  TBEASURE  OF  THE  SEAQ. 


Never  was  there  a  pleasanter  meeting.  It  was 
altogether  unexpected,  yet  not  unnatural,  for  Cap- 
tain Pratt  was  a  frequent  cruiser  over  these 
waters,  aiid  was  now,  as  he  informed  them^  on  his 
way  to  St.  John  with  a  cargo  of  deals.  The  jovial 
captain  made  them  tell  the  whole  story  of  all  their 
adventures  since  they  had  last  parted  with  him, 
in  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  in  the  country  about  the  Bay 
de  Chaleur,  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  at  Anti- 
costi.  Sable  Island,  and  Mahone  Bay,  and  thus  ac- 
quainted himself  with  every  particular  of  the  won- 
derful story  which  they  had  to  tell.  The  worthy 
captain  regarded  it  all  as  a  joke,  and  at  every 
fresh  incident  his  homeric  laughter  burst  forth  in 
long^  irrepressible  peals. 

But  such  a  story  occupied  some  time  in  the 
narration,  and  before  it  was  ended  the  schooner 
was  far  out  of  the  Strait  of  Minas,  beyond  He 
Haute,  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  On  one  side  lay  the 
Nova  Scotia  shore,  on  the  other  the  coast  of  New 
Brunswick.  Before  them  extended  the  waters  of 
the  bay. 

Night  came,  and  they  all  slept.  On  the  follow- 
■ing  day,  in  the  afternoon,  they  reached  St.  John. 

Their  adventures  for  a  time  were  over.  Bart 
took  all  his  friends  to  his  own  home,  where  they 
spent  two  or  three  days. 

Then  they  separated,  Phil  going  to  Nova  Scotia, 
and  Bruce,  Arthur,  and  Tom  to  Prince  Edward 
Island.  Pat  remained  with  Bart  for  the  rest  of 
the  holidays. 


■MMI 


^9*    : 

ting.  It  was 
tural,  for  Cap- 
•  over  thesG 
them,  on  his 
J.  The  jovial 
ry  of  all  their 
ted  with  him, 
about  the  Bay 
3nce,  at  Anti- 
,  and  thus  ac- 
ar  of  the  won- 
Tho  worthy 
and  at  every 
)urst  forth  in 

time  in  the 
the  schooner 
3,  beyond  He 
e  side  lay  the 
coast  of  New 
-he  waters  of 

n  the  follow, 
id  St.  John. 
>  over.     Bart 
where  they 


Nova  Scotia, 
ince  Edward 
'  the  rest  of 


